When My Love & I Parted
by Wyvern
Summary: What if, at the end of season one, Beryl brainwashed Princess Selenity instead of Prince Endymion?
1. Default Chapter

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When My Love And I Parted ~ Part 1  
By: Wyvern (That's me! Uh doi.)  
Chapter Rating: Eh.....hmmm....PG.  
  
Hi everybody! "Hi Dr. Ni--" Oh you get the idea.   
The following is just something that I cooked up today,   
while watching....damn..."Clueless" actually. Don't ask   
me why, I just did. *shakes head* Eeesh. (And to all   
those people out there who like the show...good for you!   
*^-^*)   
Anyhoo, this is like an alternate story-line to   
the first season. Big "what-if" factor here. Now, I   
haven't seen the DiC ending to it in AGES, and I've never   
had the luck to see the Japanese version, so most of this   
might not be right.   
Anyone out there who knows the last couple of eps here off   
by heart will probably be going, "WHAT?!! Sailor Mercury   
doesn't say that! Darien doesn't do that! She's insane!"   
Well, yes but that's beside the point.   
All of these names are the Japanese versions as well,  
though the spelling of the Generals might be wrong for   
the context. Once again, for all of you politically   
correct otakus out there, I apologize. *snicker*  
Quick thank yous! Thanks to Tame-chan for always  
reading me stuff and drawing the pics to inspire!   
Thanks to Ling as well, sorry Ling-chan, Sherlock Holmes   
isn't in this one. Neither is Athos. But Mamo-chan is!   
Yaaaay! And, can't forget, Megan L. Lavey! She has been   
just a god-send in helping me figure out how to do the   
index. READ HER STUFF EVERYBODY!! Also, read the great   
works of Sailor Chibi Crow and Star Princess! They're   
amazing people AND authors! You'll just love 'em!   
*^-^* Thanks also go out to Katie, Meagan, Louisa/Hector  
(ah-hyuh hyuh hyuh), Mikey, Felicia, Andrew, Ashley, Ben   
(YOU know who you are! ;) ), Pengy-wengy, Geordie,   
Shalleima, Jenn, April, Mathesa, and....eh....  
everrrrrrrybody! Wee-hoo! *sniff* I love you guys!  
  
*All disclaimers apply here buckos! Sailor Moon,   
and Mamo-chan dag nabbit, belong to Naoko Tekuchi, and   
any other lucky sucker who happened to hone in on the   
deal.*   
OH! And just in case some of you are wondering,   
the title goes with a song that probably noooobody knows.   
It's a little celtic thing that I think works with the   
story-line. Yeah, yeah, nobody REALLY like to read songs   
in the story, so I won't put it in. Yet. Hee hee hee.   
On with the story! *~.^V*  
*Sailor Moon off to the side* "'Bout time."  
Quiet you.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
  
"Oh, don't worry, she isn't what I want." Behind   
their point of view, he summoned forth a jagged ice crystal   
from the ground, its sharp point gleaming in the provided   
light.   
Behind the mask, the deep blue eyes narrowed. "You   
promise a fair fight."  
Zoisite laughed. "Of course, a fair fight." He   
smiled, then pulled the spike out of the ground. Sailor   
Moon slowly turned, Tuxedo Kamen whipping around in horror.   
On instinct deeply engraved within him, he dashed to cover   
her. He made it, but just in time for the crystal to embed   
itself into his back.   
With barely a scream, he fell to the ground, his   
mask and hat flying from his face. Sailor Moon cried out   
and fell to kneel beside him. "Tuxedo Kamen! Iya,   
onegai, don't leave me."   
The Senshi ran into the room, each in turn shocked at the   
scene before them. Sailor Moon knelt with her back to   
them, hovering over a fallen figure in black. A pool of   
crimson was grew larger beneath him, creeping its   
way across the floor.  
"Oh no!" Venus exclaimed. A hat and mask lay   
forgotton on the floor. Sailor Moon moved just then, and   
a new face came into view. The watchers gasped and choked,  
six sets of eyes widening in surprise.  
"Tuxedo Kamen is..." Jupiter began.  
"Mamoru-san?" Mars finished.  
  
~*~*~  
  
His breathing was ragged and shallow, sweat beaded  
his paling brow. Everything around him was becoming   
distant and hazy as the darkness called. But he had to say   
it, she had to know.   
"R-remember, onegai," he choked out, his eyes barely   
open. "I was always on your s-side."   
She sobbed and leaned down closer to him. "Iya,   
Tuxedo Kamen, onegai. Mamo-chan..." Looking up she  
searched for his eyes, but they had closed.   
"Princess," he breathed. His head fell limp.   
Tears streamed down her face, sobs wracking her thin   
frame. A scream of anguish erupted from her bent figure.   
Behind, Luna had to duck her head, unable to   
watch the girl in such despair. She had been growing   
so strong, and now this. It made every fiber in Luna's   
body ache in concern and grief. "Luna!" Artemis said   
sharply. Blinking away tears, she opened her eyes.   
There was a rainbow of light from up above, drawing her   
eyes to the ceiling.   
"The..." She couldn't believe her eyes. There were  
shoots of coloured light coming to one pure focal point.  
"The Ginzuishou! It...it's appearing!"   
Sailor Venus gasped. "Maybe now we'll find out who  
the Princess is!"   
Suddenly the Crescent Moon Wand flickered into existence,   
and the Ginzuishou fit into that hollow place in the curve.   
The wand floated downwards, to rest in front of Sailor Moon.   
In an almost trance-like state, she rose from the ground.   
Sailor Moon seemed to melt away, and in her place stood a young   
woman dressed in an elegant white gown. Her hair   
floated around her, giving her an ethereal aura, the   
golden bangs floating upwards just slightly to show the   
crescent moon now adorning her fore-head.   
"Sailor Moon?!" Sailor Mars gasped.  
Mercury's hands fluttered to her mouth. "Princess!"   
"Of course!" Luna exclaimed. "I should have known   
all along. I remember it..." The memories that came   
flooding back to her offered little consolation, only   
tightening the fist around her heart.  
The Princess sank down beside Tuxedo Kamen, and   
lifted his head onto her lap. Brushing away some of the   
ebony hair from his eyes, she ran a delicate finger over   
his lips. Her face was calm and serene at first, but as she   
sat there, holding him, it transformed into a mask of pain   
and sadness.   
Ribbons of tears threaded from her crystal eyes down   
her cheeks. "Endymion," she whispered.   
  
~*~*~  
Zoisite had been watching the proceedings, slightly   
awed. "We have finally found it!" he thought. "It must be  
mine."   
"Zoisite!" he heard his Queen snap inside of his head.   
"Bring me the Ginzuishou, and get rid of the others. Bring   
her though, I've wanted her for some time."   
"Hai." Between his two hands, he collected a sphere   
of dark energy. Lacing the power of the nega-force through   
it, he prepared to strike. Concentrating on the attack, he   
didn't see her look up. Only after a moment of her staring   
right at him did their eyes lock. Her's were so determined,   
pure and innocent. They bore into his skull, forever   
imprinting their image on his brain. He hesitated for   
a moment, caught in their gaze.  
"Zoisite." The silky tenor broke him out of it.   
Above him, Kunzite floated in his usual position.   
Arms and legs crossed, his grey eyes judged and   
questioned him. "What are you waiting for?"   
Turning back to the girl, Zoisite brought his arms   
behind him. "Nothing." With a thrust, the dark energy   
rushed for the pair. He could hear the Senshi scream in   
alarm, horror stricken at what might happen. But the   
Princess barely moved, only shielding her face from the   
blast. It passed by her as merely a strong wind, doing   
no other damage.   
She rose an arm, in her hand was the Crescent Moon   
wand with the newly found Ginzuishou resting atop it.   
"Moon Cosmic..." her soft voice echoed throughout the   
darkness, streams of pink power drawing into the crystal.   
"Power!" Although diluted, the blast that erupted from her   
was enough to send Zoisite flying back-wards into one of   
the stalagmites that jutt up from the ground. He bit off a cry   
and slid down the stony surface, slipping into a daze.   
From above, Kunzite watched his lover fall, a hot   
rage building in him. Snarling, he turned back to the   
girl, but didn't make his move. Not just yet.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Lowering the wand, it dissapeared in her hand in a   
shower of sparkles. Her attention returned to him.   
"Endymion," she whispered. His face still remained   
passive. "Endymion, remember."   
"Princess," Artemis called softly.   
She bent down over him, and lowered her head.   
"Malchite!" Queen Beryl snapped to him. "Now!"   
He created a small black bubble in one hand, dark   
lightning running through it. Raising it above his   
head, he took aim.   
Her lips brushed against his, a spark traversing through   
them both from the contact. His eyes opened just slightly,   
two blue crystal eyes there to greet him.   
"Princess." It came as a soft sigh, barely audible and  
yet full of emotion. She smiled, sending waves of warmth   
towards him.   
When she screamed, it all rushed out leaving a tearing   
cold. Her eyes squeezed shut, taking away the sky. Encased in   
a dark sphere, the sun was shadowed. He screamed and struggled   
inside, pushing to get up, but his body wouldn't respond. A   
whimper escaped from his throat as she floated up away from him.   
"Princess!"  
"Usagi!"  
"PRINCESS!"  
"Princess!"  
"Iyaaaa!" The screams and cries of the Senshi and   
guardians burned his ears. A pressure in his chest   
developed, and he realized that he wasn't breathing.   
Letting it go in a gasp, he mustered as much strength as he   
could, and reached out for her.   
"Iya," he mumbled weakly. "Yamete..." The pain was   
pulling his arm down, but he ignored it and tried to get   
his body to rise. "Dame...Usako..." However hard he   
tried, he couldn't move, couldn't protect her.  
"Endymion!" she cried, pushing her palms against the   
sphere.   
Beside her, Kunzite laughed. "Say sayonara,   
Princess."   
Sailor Mars stepped forward, "USAGI!" she screamed.   
"Fire..." her hands came together, the fire flaming with   
a new rage. "Soooouuuul!" Kunzite growled and sent a   
blast of energy to counter. The flames and the darkness   
battled, each seemed equally matched. But he pushed forth   
a little harder, and the fire was over-taken. With a cry   
Mars flew backwards, slamming into Jupiter and sending   
them both to the ground.  
Zoisite groaned and stumbled to his feet.   
"K-Kunzite?"   
"Let's go." The other man floated up to his partner,   
who supported him by pulling his arm to rest across his   
caped shoulders.   
"PRINCESS!" Luna screamed, tears streaming down her   
face.   
Endymion strained harder, red flashing in front of   
his eyes from the pain every movement brought. "Dame..."   
he grunted, tears now threatening to spill.   
She screamed in terror, but it was cut short when   
the sphere, and the two generals, dissapeared. All of the   
eyes that were locked on the ceiling continued to stare   
up in horror. All except two. As she vanished, so did   
his strength. His arm fell back to the ground, his head   
and eyes relaxing, releasing the tears.  
It was Mars who noticed him first. She gasped,   
"Mamoru-san." Sailor Mercury rushed forward just as his   
eyes closed and the breath he'd been unconciously holding   
escaped. Laying a hand on his chest, she turned her head   
and brought her ear to his mouth.   
"He's breathing, but it's shallow. His heart-beat   
is weakening." Looking up at the Senshi who now crowded   
around him she said, "He's dying. We have to get him to a   
hospital.   
"How?" Jupiter asked, her voice slightly panicked.   
Waving her arms around, she brought their surroundings to   
their attention. "We-we're in a void!"  
"We can't move him either," Venus mumbled.   
Mars' head drooped. "What are we going to do?"   
Mercury bit her lip, then looked back down at Tuxedo Kamen.   
"I just wish I had more time. I know that I could find our   
way out, if there was just more time. He's too hurt,   
there's no way he'd make the wait, but...I don't think we  
have a choice."   
  
~*~*~  
  
'Serenity...love, wake for me.'  
Usagi's eyes did not open, but she did become aware   
of the extra prescence around her. She could not move,   
her own will had been stripped from her. Lying in the odd construct,   
the black waves pulsing over her, she was slowly being   
erased. But part of her was still hanging on, and it was   
that part that heard the Queen.   
In her mind's eye, she saw the graceful woman calling   
to her gently. 'Daughter, you must give me the   
Ginzuishou.' Confusion arose, offering questions to her   
mother. 'Onegai, Serenity, you must give it to me.'   
She felt herself losing her grip on reality. She   
was so tired now, and vulnerable. 'Serenity.' The longing   
and concern in her mother's voice broke through the   
uncertainty. Concentrating, she pulled the Ginzuishou out   
away from the Moon Wand in its special hiding place within   
her, and let it float out of her body. She 'saw' her   
mother take hold of it, and smile. 'Arigato my daughter.   
Aishiteru.' Serenity was again left alone.  
  
~*~*~  
"The Princess is strong," Queen Beryl mumbled. Her   
grip tightned around her staff as she gazed down   
at the girl. "It could be difficult to break her."   
"She will give in." Without turning around, Beryl   
beckoned Kunzite forward with a hand.   
"What is Zoisite's condition?" she inquired, not   
removing her eyes from the girl.  
"Weak, and possibly weakening," he replied, doing   
his best to hide the concern in his voice. "The Ginzuishou   
has had an odd effect on his body." For a moment, his   
Queen didn't reply, she merely watched the sleeping form   
in the casket.   
"Kill him."   
Kunzite started, snapping wide eyes to his Queen's   
face. "N-nani?"   
She locked her red gaze with his, hard and cold.   
"He is of no more use to me. Weak in both power and body.   
Kill him." Kunzite blanched, his heart pounding beneath   
his uniform.   
"M-my Queen, you...I..." he stuttered, looking away.  
"DO IT, or I will make sure that you both are disposed   
of." He searched her face for some kind of sign that she   
was joking, but he knew that there was no way that was true.   
The general's silver eyes became even larger, then narrowed.   
"Hai," he said sharply, "Queen Beryl." Not moving   
from where he stood, he teleported out.   
She turned back to the casket. "Once the Ginzuishou   
is on my side," she purred, "Zoisite won't be needed any   
longer anyway." Suddenly, the crystal flashed into   
existence, encased in an orb of light. Beryl gasped, and   
reached for it, but two hands caught it before she did.   
Snarling in rage, she looked up to find herself face to   
face with the image of Queen Selenity.   
"YOU!" she shouted. The woman gave a slight smile,   
then vanished, taking the Ginzuishou with her. Beryl   
heaved, then screamed with such rage that every corner   
of the Nega-verse bounced with it.   
Kunzite looked up, and almost grinned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alrightay! I'm done the first part! Yeah, yeah, I know   
it was short, and possibly fast, but hey! That's the way   
the cookie.....mmmm...coooooookie.   
  
I just want to add, that NO I did not forget a whole bunch   
of "s", YES Zoisite is male here. Know why? 'Cause that's   
the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it! Uh-huh uh-huh. Oh, and   
that is the way Naoko always meant it to be!   
Sorry Mikey, hee hee hee...  
  
BONUS SECTION!! Leetle Japanese words that I've used.   
  
Onegai = Please  
Dame = Don't  
Yamete = Stop (STOP! In the name of looooove!   
Before--*gets smacked in the head witha shoe* Please sir..  
..I want some more! Gaaaaaah...*topples over*)  
Iya = No to an action  
Hai = Yes  
Aishiteru = An EXTREME form of love. Otherwise   
"Suki da yo" would be used.   
Arigato = (C'mon now, who hasn't seen this one used   
on Saturday morning cartoons?) Thank you  
Nani = What?  
And just in case there are a few of you out there   
thinking "What the flip's a Ginzooshoo?"--- Ginzuishou =   
Silver Crystal.  
  
"Ahhhh....infotainement."  
-Homer J. Simpson  
  



	2. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 2

When My Love & I Parted - Part 2  When My Love And I Parted ~ Part 2  
By: Wyvern (Here she is...da da da da da da da Ms. Nospecificnationalityyyyyyyyy!)  
Chapter rating: I'm so bad at these....eh....PG I'd say. Nothing bad.   
Okey-dokey! Part 2 is up and running! Woo-hoo! I'm on such a roll today, TWO parts completed in 48 hours. Wow. Amazing (For me anyway.)   
Anywhoo, I did most of my thanking in Part 1, so instead of re-naming all of those loverlies, I'll just say: I love you guys! Hey, whatever works, right? Right? Yes. I thought so too.* ~.^*  
  
****All standard disclaimers apply, I don't own any of these characters. *sigh* No matter HOW many times I click my heels together, that wish just won't come TRUE!! Nutbunnies. Stupid Fairy. I KNEW I shouldn't have traded my last pack of gum for those shoes. Bah! Everyone here is property of Naoko Tekuchi and whomever she has collaberated with.****  
Quick note: "Metallia" in this case, since I haven't specified before this, is the equivalent to the "Great Nega-force" from the DiC version. S'alight? S'alight.  
I hope you all enjoy Part 2! Good-ness knows I had fun writing it! Heck, on this streak, Part 3 might even be out by now! You just never, never know. Eh hee hee hee hee...  
On with the story!  
************************************************************  
  
Sailor Mars sat beside Tuxedo Kamen, her chin resting on her knees. Slowly, ever since Usagi had been taken, a numb-ness had been taking over. Nothing was registering anymore. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, blinking only when the itch became too noticeable.   
Jupiter was treading back and forth, once in awhile punching her palm with a fist. Sailor Venus monitered Kamen's condition, every so often shifting her legs around from underneath his head. Mercury stood working away at her computer, in a system of punching in something on the key-board, then tweaking her visor, then returning to the compact. Although she wasn't sure it would help Mamoru any, an escape still needed to be found.   
Stopping in mid-stride, Jupiter spun around and walked over to her busy friend. "Anything?" she asked hurriedly. "No. This place is a maze, one dead-end after another, twisting paths that lead nowhere."  
Jupiter wrung her hands. "How long do you think it will take?"   
"I don't know, but it might go a little faster if you give me some space," Mercury said. Jupiter winced slightly at the comment, but nodded and backed off. It was rather harsh, but true.   
"I sure hope it doesn't take that much longer," Venus said with a grunt, moving around again. "My legs are starting to fall asleep." A small smile crept across her bright features to show she was being light-hearted, and it helped ease some of the tension amongst the group.  
~*~*~  
"Beryl, where are the other Senshi?"   
"Oh great Metallia, they are still most likely in the Tower," she replied. The huge mass of pulsing red and black energy almost seemed to chuckle. "What do you wish me to do?"  
"Leave them. It is unlikely that Selenity has brought them the Ginzuishou if they are still there. Watch them though, and see what happens. The Princess is nearly complete, and then we will see how long those twits last without their leader," Metallia rumbled.   
"Hai." Beryl stood and left the chamber, making her way over to the casket. The lovely figure lay still within, no expression on the young face. Beryl stood over her with disrespect, angered at seeing this enemy of hers so close. Yet, she was also pleased. For she knew what was to come. "What is your name?" she asked. The girl's features tightened.   
"U-Usagi," she finally said. Beryl sighed.   
"No. It is not." The girl squeezed her eyes tighter, and to the Queen's surprise a tear traced itself down the side of her head.   
"Mamo-chan," the girl choked. Beryl stiffened, her knuckles growing white on the staff.   
"He is dead," she spat. "The Sailor Senshi were responsible for his death. You must destroy them, then bring the Ginzuishou to me." She leaned in closer. "Mamoru Chiba, Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, is dead."   
The Princess didn't flinch this time, but her face grew slack. "Dead," she whispered.   
Beryl straightened. "What is your name?" This time there was no answer. "Slowly," the Queen sighed. "Ever so slowly."   
~*~*~  
Mercury sighed and snapped the computer shut. Pressing her earring, the visor across her eyes dissapeared, allowing her to rub her temples. "Gomen minna, I shouldn't be so quick to flash."   
Jupiter smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Ami-chan, we're all dealing with this in our own way," she assured, her eyes flickering over to Mars. "Plus, you have no easy task set before you."   
"Arigato Mako-chan. I'm just going to check on Mamoru for a moment, then I'll try again." She bent down and pressed two gloved fingers to his throat. Her features set into a slight grimace. She checked his wrist, then pressed a firm hand onto his chest. Her eyes widened. "He's dead!" Three heads jerked up.  
"NANI?!" Venus shrieked. Mercury's eyes were darting around, her hands fluttering over different points on his body, but never settling.  
"I-I-I can't find a pulse! He's not breathing! He's d-" she couldn't finish, a slight wheezing developing in her throat as she slid into hysterics. Tears streamed down her cheeks, crying behind her clenched hands.  
"Isn't there anything we could do?" Jupiter asked hysterically. "CPR or...or something?" Mercury was still shaking, barely coherent. "AMI!"  
The girl looked up with a tear streaked-face. Her eyes were completely panicked.  
Mars looked at his face, paler than it had been the last time she'd checked. Another piece of her suddenly broke away, and she didn't know if she'd ever see it again. Jupiter rushed past her, dropping to her knees in front of him and throwing her arms around Mercury. Venus held his head much more gingerly than before, her chest rising erractically as she breathed in sobs.   
"It--it's--all my....faaauuhault...." Sailor Mercury sobbed. "I...I wasn't....watching...him..." Sailor Jupiter pressed her eyes shut and rocked her friend back and forth. Mars blinked and looked away. She hiccuped.   
"My fault...my fault..."  
"Iie, A-Ami-chan, this is none of our faults. None of us did anything to hurt him.." Jupiter whispered. Her mouth felt thick from crying.   
"My fauuhault.." she sobbed.  
There was a sudden flash of light around them, encasing all of them in it. The four Senshi felt a slight tingle run across their bodies, coursing through them. Four stomachs dropped, then settled as the movement stopped.   
Makoto gasped. "What is going on?"  
"Where are we?" Minako asked, looking around.   
The light faded, and the girls blinked in the new darkness. People buzzed around them, cars pulling in and out. A red light flashed off to the side, catching all of the their attention. It was an ambulance. The attendents rushed out of the front and hurried to the back where the two doors were flung open. They pulled a stretcher weighed down with a person and ran into the...Hospital! They were at a Hospital! Makoto, strangely she had transformed back from her Sailor identity, jumped up and ran into the large double doors, yelling at the top of her lungs.   
"Help! He's dying! We need help!" she screamed. Minako was almost giggling with excitement, rubbing Ami's back to help her calm down. Rei stared with wide eyes as two nurses and a doctor came barreling out the doors with Makoto leading the way. Following them were two more attendents carrying a stretcher.   
The doctor knelt down and checked his pulse. "He hasn't got a heart-beat." Turning to Minako, she asked, "How long has he been like this?"   
Minako shook her head. "Not very long, at most a few minutes." The doctor bit her lip and waved at the staff. "Get him to the ER and charge him," she ordered. They began to lift him up onto the stretcher, when one of the nurses saw his wound.   
"Doctor, he also has a stab wound to the back."  
"I'll check it out once we've got his heart going again. Let's go!" she snapped. Turning, she looked back at the girls. "Come inside, we've got to ask you some questions."  
~*~*~ "So, you're saying you were attacked?"   
Makoto nodded. "Hai. We...were actually very close by, thank goodness, when someone just appeared out of nowhere and stabbed Mamoru-kun."  
"Do you know why?" the nurse asked, looking up from her clip-board.  
"Iie, we had no idea who they were. They just hit and ran. We dragged Mamoru here as best we could, and finally were noticed by someone." The nurse rose an eye-brow, Minako felt her chest tighten.   
"All right. Were any of you hurt?" Four heads shook liberously from side to side. As the nurse began to walk away the girls swallowed back sighs of relief. Suddenly Rei stood and grabbed for the nurse's arm.  
"Um...is he...how is....what..." she stuttered. The woman tugged her arm away and turned to the girl.  
"As soon as I know," she replied, "I'll tell you." "A-arigato," Rei mumbled, sinking back down into her seat.   
"W-what do we do now?" Ami whispered.   
Minako leaned over to her and gave her a tight hug. "Just wait I guess. And pray. Wait and pray."   
Makoto crossed her arms and leaned back. "Sounds like a plan," she grunted, closing her eyes.   
~*~*~  
Kunzite bowed stiffly. "Did you ask to see me, my Queen?"   
She nodded and beckoned him forward. "Hai. Have you finished off Zoisite?" The general automatically became slightly hesitatant, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. "Well?" she asked.  
"Iie, Queen Beryl."   
Her red eyes narrowed. "Good." His eyebrows rose slightly and he straightened.  
"Pardon?"  
"The Ginzuishou still has yet to be tamed," she said absently, waving a hand over her the crystal ball that a clawed stand held in front of her lap. "I might need him, once he has regained his strength. That is, if he ever regains it."   
Kunzite bowed down again, some of his white hair falling over his shoulders. "Hai my Queen."  
She crossed one leg over the other. "Kunzite, the Ginzuishou is gone." He showed no sign of surprise. "Queen Selenity, my former and seen to be long dead adversary, appeared earlier yesterday and stole it once it emerged from the Princess' body."   
"So, you wish for me to search for it in Zoisite's absence?" he asked casually.   
"No," she said, surprising him. "I wish for you to train another, one who will do the searching. This will come soon. I don't know how long for sure, it could possibly be weeks before you meet. Unless, of course, the power of the Nega-force is all the more powerful without the Ginzuishou there to counter it."   
Kunzite looked up through his eye-lashes. "My Queen, who will this new person be?"  
She smiled. "You will see, soon enough. I believe you know her, actually."   
"You mean-"  
"You shall see," she interrupted harshly.   
With a nod and another bow, Kunzite teleported out of the hall. He arrived in his own chambers, and walked over to where Zoisite lay in a large bed. His face was contorted in pain, a cold sweat sheened over his body. Kunzite pushed some of the damp hair out of his eyes, and removed the cloth on his fore-head.   
"Zoisite." The two blue eyes slowly opened, a small smile curling the lips.  
"Is it...t-time?" he asked. Kunzite had not kept his task a secret from him. Zoisite had known that was what she'd want, especially with the Ginzuishou gone. So when Kunzite shook his head in reply to his question, Zoisite's tired brain became even cloudier with confusion.  
"Iie. Apparently not everything has gone according to plan, and she will need you once you are better."   
Zoisite's eyes clouded over slightly. "If I am better," he choked out. "This is a worse punishment then death," he whispered. Kunzite sat down on the bed and pulled him up in a tight embrace. Zoisite's hands clawed into the other man's cape, his head resting on his shoulder. "Her eyes," he sobbed. "Everytime I close my eyes, there they are. Staring at me, cutting away at me."   
Stroking the blond pony-tail, Kunzite did his best to sooth his love as he began to cry uncontrollably. Once in awhile he was interrupted with a cough so deep and harsh it made the other man wince at the sound. Finally, after count-less minutes of emotional out-pouring, Zoisite fell asleep in Kunzite's arms.   
Whatever was so harming him was nothing Kunzite had ever seen before, and he was not exactly young. After centuries of seeing all kinds of suffering, he knew that this had to be something related to Zoisite's encounter with the power of the Ginzuishou. Which meant that it was probably the answer in curing him.   
"Never again," he whispered, still hanging on. "I'll make sure this never happens to you again, and you will not suffer any more." Laying the lean figure on the bed, Kunzite encased him in a protective sphere. "Until I know how to stop whatever it is that is doing this to you, you must sleep." He walked out of the room, his cape swirling behind him. He now carried a new mission, one that would quite possibly not co-incide with what his Queen wished. That, however, no longer mattered to him.   
~*~*~  
"Ms. Aino? Ms. Aino." Minako stirred and blinked her eyes open, then realized that it was the nurse who was gently pushing her arm.  
She took in a deep breath and sat up in her chair. "Hai?"   
"Ms. Aino, Mr. Chiba is out of surgery."   
Minako's eyes snapped open. "Surgery?" she blurted.  
"Hai," the nurse nodded. "He's lost a lot of blood, and there was reconstructive work done where the object penetrated. You are aloud to see him, but not for long."   
"Oh, arigato." The nurse nodded and walked away. Minako ran a hand through her long blond hair, weaving it around a few snags through the mass. She looked down at Ami, who was sleeping on her lap, still completely out of it.  
"Minako-chan." She looked over to see Rei waking up as well, stretching in the chair.   
"Rei-chan, we can go see him now." Her attention also caught, Rei looked over at Makoto to wake her. Her head was hanging back off the edge of the chair, her mouth slightly open. A light snore emitted from her throat, at one point interrupted by a strangled mumble. Reaching over, Rei gave her leg a slight nudge.  
"Mako-chan."   
"Oh senpai," she sighed, earning a quirky glance from the other girls. Her hands on the chair handles suddenly tightened, her face twisting. "I hate you so much," she growled.   
"Eh....Mako-chan," Minako tried. Nothing.   
"MAKO-CHAN!" Rei shouted, giving the girl's calf a swift kick.  
"ITAI!" she yelled, jerking up and whipping her head around. "Who? Rei?" she asked.  
"We can see Mamoru now. Let's go, sleeping beauty." Makoto nodded, rubbing at her leg. Ami soon sat up with a stretch and a sigh, wiping at her eyes.  
"What time is it?" she mumbled. Minako looked up at the hospital clock.  
"Ugh," she grimaced. "3:23 in the morning."   
Makoto grunted and slumped back in her chair. "Oyasumi," she said, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. Rei reached behind her head and got a firm hold on her pony-tail, pulling it around.  
The girl's eyes snapped open as she moved out of the chair. "Ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita ita!" Rei let go and pushed her slightly down the hall.  
"I said, let's go!"   
~*~*~  
He looked awful, and so different. His pale form lay on the bed, hooked up to a network of tubing. A monitor beeped off to the side, the gentle wheezing of the respirator combining with the sound. He had tubes through both his mouth and nose, and an I.V. injected into his arm.   
Bandage upon bandage over his stomach and shoulder were rolled beneath his hospital smock, so padded that it was easy to see underneath the thin cloth.   
The four girls spread themselves out around the bed, staring down at the passive form. Ami moved to the foot and picked up the clip-board from the foot-board, flipping through the pages. Makoto hugged herself with her arms, Minako breathed behind her palm. Rei stood on the other side of the bed, not moving, just gazing down at his face.   
"I...I can't believe this happened," Makoto breathed.   
Minako removed her hand and took a deep breath. "It feels like our fault." The room fell back to its state of almost-silence as all of the girls shared the same feelings of guilt. "I don't even know him."  
"He's a great guy," Rei spoke up.   
Makoto chuckled slightly. "A bit of a jerk, but really he's just a big tease. He and Usa-" she cut off short and bit her toungue.   
Ami coughed uncomfortably and replaced the clip-board. "Apparently," she reported, "he's in a light coma. He should wake fairly soon, since he hasn't suffered any brain damage but," she sighed, "it's all up to him."  
"What about the stab wound?" Minako asked.  
"The doctor's have been able to repair a lot of the damage."  
"Hai, he's very lucky." The girls turned to see the doctor they'd met before standing in the doorway. Her eyes were tired, but a smile played on her lips. "Whatever hit him didn't do any spinal damage, and except for a slightly punctured right lung, none of his major internal organs were hit. This was just a tissue and muscle repair job. Rather miraculous, actually."  
"He'll be able to walk?" Makoto inquired.  
"Oh yes. It will be painful at first, but give him enough healing time, and there shouldn't be any problems." The doctor sighed heavily. "Right now, it's just a matter of him waking up. Like the young lady said," indicating Ami, "it's all up to him now. He has to want to open his eyes."   
Rei looked down sadly at Mamoru's face. "Then there could be a problem," she murmured.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dun dun dun! So, enjoy it? Hate it? Feed-back! Yay! *^-^* You know where to reach me, and I will ALWAYS welcome an e-mail! I don't just talk big, like some authors who need the good image, I simply BREATH from input! Weeeeeeeeee!  
Yes, so I know this chapter was again quite short, but I'm trying to section them off into reasonable parts that leave you wanting more. Did it work? Huh huh huh?   
Japanese words used (just in case "Animaniacs" wasn't informative enough.)  
Ita = Ouch!  
Nani = What  
Iie = No ('Member "Iya" is "No" to an action)  
Hai = Yes  
Arigato = Thank you  
Minna = everyone (not an extra 'n' in Minako's name.)  
Gomen = Sorry  
Oyasumi = Good-night/G'night.  
Annnnnnnd that's it I believe! Keep an eye out for part three! *small voice* Please.   
Suki da yo!  
Ja ne,  
Wyvern *~.^V* 


	3. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 3

When My Love & I Parted - Part 3  When My Love & I Parted - Part 3  
Rating: PG! I like to keep 'em clean! (For now anyway.)  
By: Wyvern - japeena@hotmail.com  
  
Hi there loves! Okay, got part three done and out! Yay! So, I would like to thank you guys (the people reading) for coming back for more! *^-^* I'm still a bit of a novice at this, so I would love to hear some suggestions that could improve my work!  
Thanks to all of my friends! I love you guys!  
  
********All standard disclaimers apply. I WOULD write them out....but....suddenly...so........lazy......*snore********  
Enough all already! On with the story!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The walls pulsed with a new energy. A raw, excited power that had all of the youma giddy with it. Blood was boiling, adrenaline pumped through their veins. A heady feeling buzzed through them, leaving them restless and itching for satisfaction.  
They felt something was coming. They knew that there was going to be a new kind of darkness brought into their realm. And each and everyone of them couldn't wait.  
~*~*~  
Makoto punched her knee and watched it jerk up. It was starting to feel slightly numb, but she really didn't notice. The kind of tingle that came from every hit to the nerve was interesting. "I wonder what that nerve is called?" she mused.   
She looked towards the bed, where Mamoru still rested. Wrinkling her nose, she stopped pounding on her knee and crossed her legs. "I wish he would wake up." She cracked one of her knuckles, smiling at the 'pop' it made.   
"That's disgusting." Makoto turned around in her seat to the door, where Rei stood with a smirk.  
"What is?"   
The firey brunnette pointed to her fist and grimaced. "What do you think?"   
Makoto chuckled and turned back around. "Not my fault if you're a wimp," she shrugged, watching her friend as she came around into sight.   
"Yeah, whatever you say," she replied. Her voice was distant, her eyes locked on the figure on the bed. "No change, huh?"  
"Iie. He's still out of it. But apparently his internal injuries are almost healed."  
"Nani?" she asked sharply. "That doesn't make sense, he had a punctured lung. Those take at least a couple months to repair."   
She held up her hands in defense. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger!" She shrugged again and stood. "I'm just telling you what the doctors have been saying."  
"So he's really doing that well?"  
She nodded. "Seems like it." With a sigh she moved over to the chair and picked up her jacket from the back. "All it's a matter of now is him waking up."   
Rei mirrored her friend's sigh and walked towards the door. "Want to get some lunch?"   
"Sure! But why don't we stay at the hospital. It could be easier, and then if Ami-chan or Minako-chan pop in, we could meet up."   
The priest-ess grimaced and stuck out her toungue. "Eeeeww....Mako-chan! Hospital food?"   
With a laugh, Makoto slapped her on the back. "You seem to be feeling better."  
"Yeah. I think it was a kind of shock for awhile." Her face fell slightly, but perked up with a smile. "We need to keep a positive image, at least for Mamoru if not ourselves."  
"That's the spirit! Now let's go!"  
With a dry smack of her lips, Rei followed her friend. "I can't wait."  
~*~*~  
Ami sat at her desk, twirling a pencil between two slender fingers. In front of her was a Calculus Text book, but her mind was not on the work. She was thinking back to the fight.  
"Princess!"  
"Usagi!"  
"PRINCESS!"  
"Princess!"  
"Iyaaaa!"  
She shook her head, clearing it of the screams. It had been a week now, and still they hadn't seen her. "What could Beryl possibly want with Usagi? She wondered, then smacked her fore-head with a palm. "Baka, she wants the Ginzuishou." A wash of worry arose, making her chest feel tight. "What if they have it? We would all be lost if Beryl was in possesion of it."   
"No," she decided. "That can't be it. They can't have it or else they would have acted by now. And...wasn't it the Ginzuishou that transported us from the void to the hospital?" That just left one question. "Who DOES have it?"   
She put down her pencil and sighed. Pushing out of her chair, she walked out of her bed-room door and into the living room. Flopping down on the huge egg-plant leather corner couch, she reached behind her and picked up the phone. "I'm in the mood for a talk," she thought, while punching the number pad.   
After a few rings, a high, dry voice spoke over the line. "Moshi moshi."   
"Hi, Minako-chan!" There was sharp bang on the the other side that made Ami jerk her head away from the reciever. "Hello?"  
~*~*~  
"Artemis."  
The cat snored behind his paws, curled up at the desk chair. He paid absolutely no attention to the girl lying on the bed with her feet facing the ceiling, legs high up in the air.  
"Artemis, you know what?"  
Snore.....  
She didn't seem to notice his lack of interest, and continued. "I have big feet." She gazed at her socked feet, wiggling her toes a little bit. "I wonder what size my Venus heels are?" she mused.  
The phone meowed on the table beside her bed. It was in the shape of a kawaii little cat, and instead of ringing, it would meow insistently until the receiver it held in two paws was picked up. Minako sighed and reached over, but found she couldn't reach the phone. "Bah, baka cat must of moved it." She swung her legs down and sat on the edge of bed, finally able to reach the phone. "Moshi moshi."  
"Hi, Minako-chan!" a cheery voice said.  
Minako dropped the receiver, hitting the floor with a clatter. Artemis snapped his eyes open and grumbled before turning around in the chair and tucking his head back down.  
Minako muttered a couple of mild curses and fumbled to pick up the phone. Ami? Calling HER? On her own initiative? This was certainly a first. She could hear Ami trying to figure out what happened on the other end. "Eh....Hi Ami-chan!" she replied carefully. "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing! I just felt like talking!"  
This time, Minako just managed to hang on. "Okay! Eh....Ami-chan?"  
"Hai?"  
"Eh....doushite?" A tiny sweat-drop appeared on the receiver.   
"Just because! What, I can't call one of my new best friends when I fell like it?" she chirped happily.  
"Hai hai," Minako put in quickly, "demo....you just never have....before!"  
"I know, I'm usually too busy for phone chat, but today I'm in the that kind of mood!"  
Things began to sink in, and Minako smiled. "Sugoi! So, what do you want to talk about?"   
"I don't know!" came the happy reply.  
The blond dead-panned. So it WASN'T a blue moon after all.  
~*~*~  
Beryl ran a loving hand over the girl's head. It was a golden expanse laid out beneath her, a river of soft hair. Two crystal eyes fluttered up to her face, a smile appeared on the perfect little lips. She was so beautiful. The perfect child.  
"Beryl-momma?" she asked.  
"Hai?"  
"When is it going to be my turn?"  
"Soon. In fact," the Queen looked up. "Kunzite!" The general teleported to her, bowing in respect. "Kunzite, you will show your new apprentice around today. I want her out and about very soon."   
He straightened, his sliver eyes locked on a new figure. A small gasp escaped his lips. "This is she?" he asked in an incredulous tone. Sitting beside his Queen was a six year old girl. Her large blue eyes sparkled mischievously beneath a shower of blond bangs. She was a lovely little girl, but still....little.   
To his slight surprise, Beryl gazed warmly down on her. "Hematite, this is Kunzite," she purred. Looking back up at him continued, "Kunzite, I want you to quickly show Hematite how to teleport. She knows the rest."   
"Ano...Queen Beryl, she is very, very young."  
"Ah." Beryl pet the girl on the head, who looked up with a smile. "Hematite, would you choose a better age?"  
"Un!" she squeaked happily. In an instant, the small girl became a beautiful maiden of four-teen. "Is this better?"  
Beryl nodded. "Good. Now go with Kunzite and then report back to me when you're ready. I want today to be the day."   
The girl, Hematite, stood, letting fold upon fold of the black dress she wore fall down from around her long legs to the floor. Kunzite noted that is was the same design and cut as Princess Serenity's, except that where that had been white gold, there was now black and silver.  
Her once young hair-style of two odango-shaped buns were replaced by a long thick golden braid that reached to the floor. Black ribbons inter-wove in the golden mass, like-wise two were tied to each wrist; the ends of the ribbons left to hang freely.   
Where there had once been a golden crescent moon, there was a silver. All that had been Princess Serenity was gone, now replaced by the creation named Hematite.   
She stepped down from the slightly raised dais of Beryl's throne, and grace-fully walked over to where Kunzite stood. For a moment, she stared into his eyes, boaring into them. He didn't flinch however, didn't look away. The contest continued, until her face transformed with a look of pure glee, and she latched onto his arm.   
He grunted slightly as she tugged on it and buried her face into his uniform sleeve. "This is going to be so much fun!" she giggled. "I just know we're gonna have a blast!"  
With a look of desperation, he searched for help from his Queen. She just smirked and waved a hand. "Go." Hematite giggled and squeezed tighter. Kunzite groaned.   
~*~*~  
"Mo kiing? I woo of fo--" Makoto stopped and gulped down her bite of lunch. "I would have thought they'd have been freaking by now."  
Rei shook her head. "Nope. It looks like...well.." she looked up to her friend for support. Makoto picked away at her back teeth with a finger, blinking innocently as she waited for her friend to continue. "Eh.....well.. ..they don't seem to remember Usagi at all." Makoto snapped her mouth shut and gulped, trying to get her bearings. "Nani?" she jumped up from her seat. "What do you mean?"  
"Rei held up her hands against the shower that her friend sent down to her face in her tirade. "Just what I said!" she snapped. "Usagi's family has no memories of her at all!" she lowered her voice slightly as the other girl calmed and sat down. Picking up a napkin, she continued while wiping her face. "When Ami-chan and I went to their house, we had to pretend we were selling something to get in! Mrs. Tsukino had no idea who we were!"  
"Really?"  
"Un. And do you know what's weirder?"  
"Nani?"  
"When she let us into the living-room Ami said she got a chance to look around, while I gave this little sales to Usagi's mother about chocolate, and all of the pictures of Usagi were gone! In the family pictures, there was only Shingo!"  
"Kyaaaa...." Makoto breathed. "That IS weird!"   
"I know. Demo," she stopped and down-cast her eyes, "it's scary too. Could this mean that we're never going to see Usagi again?"  
"Makoto stood up straight in her chair, her eyes clouding over. Finally, after a few confusing moments on Rei's part, she shook her head. "I don't think so. What did Ami-chan think?"  
"Well, she thinks that somehow the Ginzuishou is still working."  
The tall girl blinked. "How's that?"  
Rei sighed. "Baka Mako-chan! She thinks that the Nega-verse doesn't have the Ginzuishou, and it instead is still out there helping us!"  
"Mo," Makoto snorted. "That's quite the theory. How did she come around to that?"  
"You know! In the void-" Rei wiggled her fingers for emphasis "-we were magically transported to the doors of the hospital. And now, her family has been protected from any grief or worry by Usagi's disappearance, since they have absolutely no memory of her!"  
"Ooooooohhhh....that makes sense! Demo...where IS the Ginzuishou then?"  
Rei shrugged. "That's something Ami can't figure out."  
"Great." Makoto picked up her sandwich and took another large bite. "Tha husth gwea."  
~*~*~  
"IYA! Don't do-" Hematite exploded in a cloud of smoke. Kunzite coughed and sighed. "-That."  
"Ooops," she blushed. "Gomen ne."  
"You need to be more careful!" he snapped.  
"HEY!" she barked right back. " I SAID I was SORRY!"  
He rolled his eyes, looking to the ceiling in a silent plea for patience. "All right, all right. Try it again, but this time, go slowly." She sucked her lip in and nodded.   
It had taken a little while, but Kunzite had figured out that Hematite's method of teleport was through smoke. Kunzite had a black wave that would circle around him, Zoisite would use flower petals, which hadn't been Kunzite's idea but that was just the way things worked out, and now it seemed that Hematite would use smoke.  
She closed her eyes and let her arms fall free at her sides. It took a few moments, but after a small period of time a small wisps of smoke appeared at her feet. It slowly began to spiral up her skirt, growing and thickening in the process, until it covered her head as she was no longer able to be seen behind the screen. Suddenly, it exploded in a small puff, taking all of her with it.  
Kunzite sighed. "About time," he muttered.  
~*~*~  
Hematite blinked her eyes open, and to her delight found that she stood in front of the throne. "Beryl-momma! I did it!"  
"Well done. Do you feel confident that you can do it by yourself?" she asked.  
The girl nodded empathetically, a grin plastered onto her features. "Does this mean I can go out?"  
Beryl thought for a moment, but nodded and smiled. "Hai. However, I would like you to go under a different guise."  
Hematite blinked in confusion. She suddenly became three years old. "Like dis?" the tiny girl squeaked.   
"Iie." The toddler became a haggard old woman, her hair stark white.  
"This?"  
Beryl laughed. "Iie, iie. Not as Hematite, at any age." The girl became a teenager once again, her face reflected her puzzlement. But soon, her face opened up in a glory of comprehension.  
"OH!" Her image wavered for a moment, and instead of the new Nega-verse servant, stood Sailor Moon. "Like this."   
The Queen nodded. "Hai. Like that."  
~*~*~  
"Hee hee hee..." she giggled. Looking through that window, she could see the bed-room. All neat and proper, barely an object out of place. The only signs that a person had been living there in the past few months was a light on the desk as still on, overlooking a thick text book and pencil.  
Sailor Moon faded into the room and looked around. "Very blue," she observed. Walking out the door, she peered down the hall-way. Not a soul to be seen. But, she thought she could hear someone talking in another room. With a large grin, she set out for the origination of that voice.   
This mission should be fairly quick. Her job was to corner Sailor Mercury, do her best to get the Ginzuishou from her, then get rid of the pest. Hopefully, but going through all of the Senshi that way, she would have to run into the crystal.  
Beryl-momma had told her to visit the homes of all of the Senshi. That information was there at Sailor Moons disposal, though she couldn't actually say why. She didn't remember much past a certain point, but she did know the location of the Senshis alter-egos. And that was all that really mattered, wasn't it? Plus, she got to pretend she was a stealth agent.  
Humming a song that popped into head that seemed to fit the mood, she reached what had to be the living-room. Peering around the door, a blue head rested on a huge couch within. A twisted cord ran from the person's hand to the table. The girl chatted with someone on the other end of the phone line, often going silent for a fairly long period of time while the person on the other end babbled away.  
"Enough waiting," Sailor Moon grumbled. She walked out from the door and stood next to the table. Raising a gloved finger, she pressed down on the hang-up.  
"Eh...Minako-chan?" the girl asked. So it had been Venus she was talking with. She would have to be next then. "Hello?" The blue head turned around, and two deep eyes caught two crystal ones.  
"Hi there Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Moon said cheerfully.  
Two blue brows knit together rather comically, her face a mask of confusion. "Usagi-chan?"   
With a grin, the blond shook her head. "Nope!" Leaning down so that she stood an inch away from the girls face she said, "Guess again."  
************  
Dun dun dun! So, like it? That's great! If not, please keep in mind that flames are only appreciated if they are entertaining. *^-^*  
Japanese words used: (I'm not going to repeat the same from before, k?)  
Doushite?=Why?  
Mo!=(Kinda like:)Geez!  
Baka = Stupid/Silly  
Moshi moshi = the way to say "hello" over the phone  
Un! = (I got this from Megs! ;) ) A spunky way to say "yes!"  
Demo = But  
Sugoi! = Awesome!  
Gomen ne = (I'm) Sorry  
Kawaii = cute  
  
Hope I didn't miss any! If there are any questions, just e-mail me and I'd be GLAD clear anything up! I just BREATH from feed-back! Arigato!  
P.S. Remember waaaaay back in Part 1 when I told you all about the song that goes with this? When do you guys want to see it? In the last part? Integrated with the last parts? I'm a bit confoosed on that one, so drop me a line with any suggestions! Spanks!  
~Wyvern 


	4. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 4

When My Love & I Parted - Part 4 When My Love & I Parted - Part 4  
Rating: PG still! It might range into PG13 eventually, but we're still in the safety zone!  
By: Wyvern - japeena@hotmail.com Me love e-mail!   
  
Hey minna! Ready for an exciting part 4? Oh. Too bad. *whistles and walks away* Just kidding!  
I had lots of fun writing this, *cough* at 1 in the morning whilst high on Oreos, and I hope you enjoy reading it! I've taken a leetle stab at humour here, but since I'm just *dreadful* at writing it, don't go searching for a laugh, 'cause you might just miss it. BAH! ^_^;  
Thanks to all of my friends! Big thank you to Megan L. Lavey for being such a sweetie, (READ HER STUFF!) and actually to Andrea (the hostess of ASMR) for being oh so patient with me and my Attachments problems! *sniff* I love you guys!  
  
*******All standard disclaimers apply. I own none of these characters, though I like to make believe. I find sock puppets work best. Ah, those lonely nights no more! Mamo the sock is always by my side! But, Naoko Tekuchi and all that she is lady and mistress over have the *technical* rights. Che, I look past those! Ha HA! ;p***************  
  
Annnnnnnnnd.....on with the story before my crazy little butt is sued!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Ami-chan? Hello?" The dead air turned into the steady beeping over the phone. She'd just hung up suddenly. Minako set the phone down and tried to call again, but the line was busy. "Weird..." she muttered.   
Giving a quick glance over to the desk chair, Artemis still snoozed. She wondered for a moment whether or not she should wake him up, but decided against it. Luna might be better to ask.   
Getting up from her bed, she made her way downstairs. There, in the same spot she'd been in for the last week, was Luna. She sat huddled up in the corner of the living-room. Her ruby eyes were open, but staring at nothing.   
Usually, Artemis was there with her, laying up close, talking to her. Finally Minako had pulled them apart when Luna had fallen asleep, and commanded him to go eat something. On reflection, Minako decided that it was probably best they were apart for just a little while, so she had plopped the white cat down in her room and locked the door. He'd fallen asleep, and still stayed there, probably too dozy to remember his chivalrous duty. No doubt he would as soon as he'd caught up on his rest, but for now he stayed blissfully alone.  
"Luna, how are you doing?" Kneeling down, she scratched behind the black cat's head, gently nuzzling it the way she knew Artemis loved. It was a cat thing she expected. "I was thinking maybe I should go over to Ami's." The cat didn't respond, but Minako had a hunch she was listening. "We were talking on the phone, when she suddenly hung up, and now the line is busy. Do you think there's a problem?"   
An ear twitched slightly, but the head didn't raise from its perch on the two paws. Minako sighed and sat down fully. "I'll try the communicator." Bringing out the small pink pad, she pressed the button to call Ami. The screen came up with static instead of the perky face she had hoped for.   
As an experiment, Minako tried Rei or Makoto's lines, but again there was only static. "What could this mean?" she wondered. Looking back to Luna, she got up. "I think there's something wrong. If Artemis asks, tell him I've gone over to Ami's house. I'll use the phone if there's trouble."   
Quickly changing shoes and jacket, she ran out the door and down the street. Something deep inside, the same kind of alarm system that dated back to her days as Sailor V, was going off. She could feel that something was wrong. Her only hope was that she would get there in time.  
~*~*~  
"Guess again."   
"N-nani?" Sailor Moon laughed and stood, shaking her head.   
"You're so silly sometimes Ami. A complete genius, yet incredibly naive. But drop it now, okay? Lets see some Mercury!" she said cheerily. The girl moved off of the couch to stand before her.  
"Usagi...what has happened to you?"   
The other girl blinked. "What are you talking about? Who is this is Usagi?" Her demeanor changed to that of ridicule. "Rather silly name if you ask me."  
"It's your name," Ami said quietly. Sailor Moon snorted and rolled her eyes.  
"Whatever. Come on Sailor Mercury! I want to talk!"   
"Doushite?"  
Sailor Moon stiffened. "Fine. If you want to play it that way." In one hand she created a dark ball of energy, and tossed it from one hand to the other. "Wanna transform yet?" she said with a smile.   
Ami's eyes widened, and she backed away. Quickly pulling out a small pink object, she turned to run. Sailor Moon ran forward and caught the back of her shirt, pulling her down to the floor and catching the communicator as she fell. "Ah, ah, ah!" she scolded. "We wouldn't want any of your Sailor friends bursting in on our little party, now would we?"   
The girl shook with fear, slowly making her way back to an upright position. When Sailor Moon thrust the communicator at her face, she flinched, expecting it to strike. She slowly opened her eyes to a smirking face.   
"Come on. I wouldn't do that!" Her face hardened and the smile vanished. "Disable it," she commanded. Ami gave a questioning look. "I said, DISABLE IT!" Moon shouted. Ami cringed and nodded, taking the communicator from her and turning it on.   
Sailor Moon bounced behind her and watched what she did. "Careful now, wouldn't want to 'accidentally' contact one of the others!" she smirked, bringing the ball of energy down to hum next to the girl's ear.   
With a nervous gulp, Ami punched in a few different commands into the communicator. The once black circular screen fuzzed out and became pure static. "Good job blue brain! Now," she moved around to face her again and bent down so that they were nose to nose. "Let's talk."   
"A-about what?" Ami stuttered. Her trembling had lessened, but she was still obviously scared. Sailor Moon sighed warmly and wrapped an arm around the girls shoulders in an almost friendly manner.   
"You know," she whispered. Ami didn't reply. With a roll of the eyes, Sailor Moon continued. "The Ginzuishou!" she laughed. "And I thought you were the smart one!"   
Ami remained silent, keeping wary eyes on this stranger in her friend's body. "The Ginzuishou!" Sailor Moon said again. "I-want-the Ginzuishou!" she said happily. She stood up now, and pulled up Ami by the collar. "And I think you know where it is."   
Struggling to pull away, Ami shook her head. "Give it up bubble brain!" Sailor Moon snapped, her teeth clenched. "I KNOW you know where it is!" To emphasize how serious she was, she gave the girl a little shake. "WHERE IS IT?!" she shouted.  
Close to tears, Ami shook her head again then looked pleadingly into Sailor Moon's eyes. "I--I don't know!"   
Scowling, she tossed her down onto the couch and pointed an accusing finger. "You're LYING! Give it to me Sailor Mercury!" She created another ball of energy between her hands. "Do it or I'll destroy you!"   
"I don't...have it..." Ami sobbed, clutching her head. "Onegai! I don't...Usagi!" her voice was raising to the level of a strained scream. "USAGI!"   
Sailor Moon screamed in anger and rose her hands above her head, preparing to throw the energy down to her target.   
"Yamate!" Snapping her head around, Sailor Moon broke into a smile. There in the doorway was Sailor Venus.  
"Hey Minako!" she said happily, clapping her hands together and dispelling the ball. "Wanna play?" The   
other blonde girl stared at her in surprise, blinking in confusion.  
"Usa-gi?" she asked.   
Sailor Moon pulled at her pig-tails. "WHY does everyone keep CALLING ME THAT?!" she shouted.   
Sailor Venus took a step forward and reached out a tentative hand. "Usagi, nani...."  
"Mercury Power...Make UP!" At the shout Sailor Moon scowled and rolled her eyes.  
"Kuso," she mumbled. Turning around, she faced an angry Sailor Mercury. "I *knew* I should have kept my eye on you."   
"Sailor Venus," Sailor Mercury called over Moon's shoulder, "this is not Usagi."   
"Oh for the love of-"  
"What do you mean?" Venus asked.  
"She's changed! It isn't her!"   
"About time you caught on!" Sailor Moon said huffily. Turning, she took a conversational pose. "I practically had to pound that into blue's head over there," she said to Venus, jerking her thumb behind her.   
Waving her arms as if physically changing the subject, Sailor Moon moved to face them both. "Anyhoo, I'm here to get the Ginzuishou. Which one of you ladies have it?"  
"Nani?"   
"Mo! The Gin-zui-shou....how many times do I have to-"  
"We don't have it!" Mercury snapped. Sailor Moon's eyes narrowed.   
"No, Usagi, we really don't," Venus added.   
"Really?" Moon asked, her eyes wide and curious.   
Venus nodded, taking another step closer. "Hai, really."   
Putting one foot behind the other and looking down to the ground, Sailor Moon bit her lip. "Oh." She slowly lifted herself into the air, her feet leaving the floor. She rose up to the ceiling where she floated for a few moments, looking at the two gaping girls below. "Well," she started, creating another ball of energy behind her back, "I think you're LYING!" She rose it above and sent it sailing down to the ground where it exploded.   
The two Senshi screamed and went flying back-wards into furniture around the room. Sailor Moon laughed and called out another orb of energy. "You guys are really sucky play-mates, you know that?"   
"S-Sailor Moon," Sailor Mercury stammered, trying to pick herself up from behind the couch. Venus was breathing hard after being flown across a table and rammed into a painting that hung on the wall.  
Sailor Moon sighed. "You guys still don't know who I am, do you." She was about to fade into her alter identity, when a voice spoke in her head.  
"Hematite, leave it."  
"Momma?" she asked, getting rid of the orb.  
"Leave these two, don't waste your energy on them."  
"Doushite?"  
"They don't have it." Sailor Moon sighed and smacked her fore-head.   
"Now what?!" she asked. "There is something powerful emanating from the Tokyo Angel Hospital. Go there. Feel out the Ginzuishou. Just like I taught you."   
Her mood raised, she grinned and nodded her head in a brisk salute. "Hai!" Looking down, Sailor Mercury was pulling up Sailor Venus. She rose her gaze to Sailor Moon, slightly fearful, but determined. "Well! I gotta go kiddies!" Summoning her teleport, she gave a slight wave. As the smoke rose she said with a smile, "We simply *must* do this again some time!" The smoke engulfed her head and exploded in a cloud, leaving the two weary Senshi behind to attempt a collection of their wits.  
~*~*~  
"Just do it!"  
"Gimme a break Mako-chan."   
"Come on! Just give it a tap!" Rei sighed and set down her drink. Using that hand, she flicked the straw once with her index finger. Nothing happened, except her nail felt sore. "Harder!" A few minutes ago, Makoto had remembered a trick she'd learned as a kid, and was all too eager to show it too her friend.   
You apparently took a straw and wound the two ends around in your hands until one tight little piece of straw was all that was left exposed. "This is ridiculous!" Rei scolded.  
"Oh, shut-up and flick!" Grumbling, Rei gave it another try, and this time the piece of straw snapped with a loud 'pop' in Makoto's fingers. She smiled. "That was a good one! Not as good as the straws down at school though. The thicker the straws the better you know. And the ones you can get at the pop machines with those plum drinks are the best!"  
"You're nuts Mako-chan," Rei said blandly, picking up her drink and downing the last of it.   
"Nah. I'm just hyper right now for some reason."  
"I think it was all that chocolate cake you stuffed your face with." Makoto smiled and bounced slightly in her seat.   
"Cake! It was good I like cake especially the cake here in fact I think I'll go get more cake! Cake cake cake!" With that she stood up out of her chair and practically skipped over to the dessert counter. Rei sweat-dropped.   
"She's going to be bouncing off the walls for a week." A dark feeling suddenly whispered at her senses, bringing her head around to look at the doors of the cafeteria. It had been merely a breeze of a feeling, but it was slightly familiar. At first she wondered if she should try and root it out, but the feeling had gone as quickly as it had come, and there was no way to track it.   
Pushing it to the back of mind, Rei got up out of her seat. With a sigh she turned around to see Makoto giving an intensely happy thank you to the cashier and coming back with just about the whole chocolate cake. "You better share!" Rei called.  
Looking up with a grin, Makoto pulled out two forks. "Yeah, yeah."   
~*~*~  
"Blech," Hematite grimaced. "I don't like hospitals. Needles are here." For a second she wondered how she knew she didn't like them, since she had never seen one, but it was dismissed.   
She had teleported into the main waiting hall, behind a large plant. After trying to squeeze her way around it, she finally decided that it would be easier for a child. So now a four year-old Hematite walked down the halls, trying to feel out the high power level of the Ginzuishou.   
At first, she couldn't feel anything, not a single tug on her senses. She was starting to worry that she had not learned out to find it properly, when there was a tiny pull upwards. She was standing in front of an elevator, the two shiny metal doors spanning ominously above the small girl.   
She reached to press the up button, but found she couldn't span the distance. Sticking her toungue out, she made a little leap. Unfortunately, she was still unable to hit the button, no matter how much she flailed around or how much of an effort she made.  
Fuming, Hematite began to consider dropping her guise and growing into a nice TALL fourteen, when there was a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, a warm face smiled at her. He crouched down, showing off his hospital ID. A nurse of the pediatric ward. "Great," Hematite thought inwardly. "Just great."   
"Are you lost little one?" he asked. She shook her head."   
"Iie."   
"Well, where are you trying to go?"   
Pointing up to the button she said, "I need to take the elelator to see my mommy."   
"Where is your family?"   
"With my mommy." Bowing her head and fiddling with her dress, she said, "I went to the bafwoom, and then got into the elelator and now I wanna go back upstaiws." He looked slightly unconvinced, so she brought out the big guns. Her eyes grew huge, and distinctly puppy-like. "Pwease mistew, would you push da button fow me?"   
"Sure, and I'll make sure you get back up to your mommy's right away."   
"Kuso!" she swore. She snapped her eyes open at the slip and looked back at him. He gaped down, his mouth wide enough to fit a lemon.  
"Nani?!" he asked.  
"Nani?" she mirrored, but with a much more innocent lilt. She blinked innocently a few times, doing her best to look completely ignorant of why he was so surprised. With a shake of his head, the nurse pressed the button and mumbled something about "too much over-time." After a few moments, the door 'dinged' and opened. A few people got out, leaving the inside empty.   
Hematite reached up and took a firm hold of his pant sleeve, then walked into the elevator with him. When the doors closed, she let go and grew to four-teen. The man standing beside her screamed and backed away. "Oh shush," she said with a wave of the hand. She looked over and pressed the button for the next floor.  
Pulling the nurse close to her face, she looked deeply into his eyes. "You're going to get off at the next floor." Her voice was monotone and soft, his breathing slowed.  
"I'm going to get off at the next floor," he repeated.  
"And you're not going to remember any of this."  
"I won't remember this." She smiled and was about to let him go, when a mischievous thought struck.  
"And the first person you see, you will passionately kiss."   
"Kiss passionately."  
She rolled her eyes. "Good enough." The doors opened and she let him go. He walked stiffly out of the elevator and into the halls, running into one of the other male doctors who was reading off of a clip board.  
Hematite could barely hold in a laugh as the door closed with the sight of papers flying and the sound of a muffled shout. She sighed happily. "I love my work."   
~*~*~  
"Iie, iie, iie....mo, where IS it?" After a bit of searching, Hematite had finally decided which floor the high power level was coming from. At first it had felt like the floor one, where she had started. She'd released a groan in the elevator at the thought of going through that whole deal with the nurse for nothing, when a stronger pull had come from the sixth floor.  
Now she walked down the halls, at the age of seven, poking her 'power sensing feelers' into each room. So far, there was nothing. Standing still, she focused. There it was, just a few rooms ahead. It didn't feel like the Ginzuishou though.   
Sighing, she opened her eyes. "What else would it be?" she wondered. The girl's curiosity had been piqued. It wasn't what she had been looking for perhaps, but it deserved an investigation none-the-less. "Let's have a little look-see."   
At the door of the room where the pull was the strongest, she poked her head in and drew in a breath. "Whoa momma!" Sliding into the room, she softly closed the door behind her. Giving a glance around the room, she grew to four-teen and walked over to the bed.   
The most beautiful person she had ever seen lay on the pale sheets. His ebony hair was as dark as she could have ever desired, the beautiful bangs falling over a light shade of smooth almond skin. The slightly pointed face was soft and innocent in sleep, but also gave off the impression of a strong spirit.  
Powerful arms came from the light green hospital smock, the rest of his body covered. The paper thin bed- sheets covered just up to his waist. Her eyes trailed down to his mid-section, where it bulged out slightly. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Oh don't tell me he's got a pot-belly!" Snapping her fingers, the smock disappeared.   
The source of the bulge was a thick layer of bandage tied around his stomach. "Is that why you're in here?" she asked quietly. Laying a hand on it, she felt the angry wound pulsing red beneath the bandage. A small thrill shot up her spine at the feel of it. Grinning slightly, she removed her hand and shook her head. "That's a doozy."   
Looking up his body she could see part of his chest around the fabric, and what was displayed boasted a sculptured physique. Running down, her eyes came into contact with the bed cover. It was all that was left to hide him. She bit her lip, sorely tempted...not even sure why she hadn't removed it already. "Bah," she snapped her fingers and the smock reappeared. Leaning in close to his face, she smiled. "I'll wait until I'm shown willingly." She giggled and bit her toungue. "Eeeecchi!"  
With a sigh she sat down in the chair next to the bed. He sure was handsome. Even around the I.V. injected into his arm, which usually gave her the willies, she felt drawn to him. "Probably his abnormally high power level," one part of her thought. But another part spoke up, saying: "Iie, it's something else."   
"Well whatever it is," she said, throwing her hands up in the air, "I like it!" Standing, she moved over and sat on the edge of the bed. "I wish I could take you home with me," she whispered. Her hand itched to touch him, but for some reason she fought it off.   
Leaning in close, she gave quick kiss to his nose and sighed. "Gotta go!" She smiled and teleported out. "I'll be back though."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
DUN DUN DUN!!!  
Since I don't *believe* I used many new Japanese words, I won't re-list them. But, I will just jar your memories with:  
Mo= Geez!   
Daijobu? = Are you all right?  
Doushite? = Why?  
Ecchi (You saw it as Eeeeecchi) = Perverted/Dirty  
  
I used the first two quite a lot, and wanted to make sure nobody out there will cancel out of this thinking, "Why does everyone keep mooing?" MO!  
Thanks for reading!   
Suki da yo minna! *~.^V*  
~Wyvern 


	5. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 5

When My Love & I Parted - Part 5  When My Love & I Parted ~ Part 5  
By: Wyvern (Hi hi! *^-^*)  
Chapter Rating: PG 13 I'm afraid.   
Hey minna! Okay, I (finally) got around to putting out part 5! Sorry it took so long. I'll try to get the lead out for the next one, promise! *sigh* I'm just digging myself into another hole. Ah well.  
Thanks to all my buds, as always. Can't forget to put that in here!  
  
********All standard disclaimers apply. I don't own 'em, no matter what I might say while hyper. Dangit! Naoko Tekuchi, the lucky little....bah...she does! Okay? Fantastico!***********  
  
Now! On with the story!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Why is the door shut?"   
Makoto shrugged and placed a hand on the door handle. "I don't know," she replied. "Did you shut it?"  
Rei shook her head and followed her friend into the room. She stopped and rose her nose into the air. "Ne, does it smell smokey in here to you?"   
Makoto looked at her strangely, but sniffed the air. "Hey, you're right! It does. Weird." She moved over to the bed, seemingly forgetting Rei, who stood stock still from where she had first come in. A thread of that same dark energy had been here. It was what she had thought she'd sensed in the cafeteria. A hint of familiarity, but completely evil. What was it?   
"REI-CHAN!" Makoto's shout snapped her out of her thoughts and brought her to the bed side in a rush.  
"Na-" her eyes followed Makoto's gaze down to the bed. Mamoru's eyes were cracked open. It appeared he was trying to look around the room. "Mam-Mamoru-san?"   
Gathering her wits about her, Makoto reached over and pressed the alert button to summon a nurse. Within just a few moments, a harried looking woman burst into the room. Rushing over to the bed, she smiled and took Mamoru's wrist, timing it with her watch. "My my! Look who finally woke up," she said warmly. Mamoru blinked at her, his brow slightly furrowed.   
"Is...is he all right?" Rei asked.   
"Hai! He's seems to be just fine!" Dropping his wrist with a nod, she walked over to the end of the bed. "His last scan was...yesterday. And at that time there didn't seem to be any damage internally at all."  
Makoto breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the hospital wall. "Thank goodness. And about time too!"  
Rei gave her a look, then turned her attentions towards the figure on the bed. "Mamoru-san? Daijobu?"  
His gaze locked with hers. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice was too unused, and his throat too dry. All he succeeded in was mouthing the word. Rei closed her eyes and shook her head.   
"We don't know," she whispered.   
Makoto suddenly popped her head into Mamoru's field of vision. "Hi there!"  
Rei sweat-dropped. "Mako-chan! You're still hyper from the caffeine."  
"And what if I AM?" Makoto shot back with a pout.   
"Eh....sumimasen, but I'm afraid it would be best for you two to leave Chiba-kun for just a little while," the nurse interjected. Rei turned and bowed slightly to her.  
"Hai. Arigato." Makoto waved and walked out the door, soon followed by her friend.   
"Oi!" Makoto slapped her fore-head. "We should call the others and let them know!"   
"You're right. Communicator or phone?"  
"Eh...com-"   
"Mako-chan!" Makoto was interrupted by a shout from down the hall. "Rei-chan!" The two girls turned to see Ami running down the corridor, with Minako limping behind her.   
"Ami-chan! Minako-chan! What happened?" Rei burst, rushing over to Minako's side.   
"Usa--gi!" Ami panted.   
"NANI?!!" Makoto and Rei both shouted at the same time, earning a few odd looks from passers by.   
"We....Usagi was at..my house!" Ami breathed.   
"Demo, it WASN'T Usagi!" Minako added.  
Makoto shook her head. "Ok, I'm getting confused. Usagi was there, but she wasn't?"  
"Hai!" Minako chirpped.   
"Well...sort of," Ami said. "We need to have a meeting."   
Rei nodded. "Hai, we'll have it at the shrine." For a moment, the girls just stood there until Makoto clapped her hands together.  
"What are we waiting for?! Let's GO!"  
~*~*~  
Beryl was sitting at her throne, eyes closed, when Hematite's presence appeared in the kingdom. She opened her eyes, and stared into two crystal blue eyes. An inch away from her face, Hematite smiled. "Oi, Beryl-momma!" she said happily.  
Beryl narrowed her eyes and waved a hand. Hematite didn't look too surprised when she floated back-wards against her own will to stand a nice comfortable distance away from the Queen. "Hematite, what have you to report?"   
"Oh! Well, I couldn't find the GinzuishoudemoI DID find-" she added quickly, "a really, really kawaii guy!"  
The Queen rose an eye-brow. "Nani?" Hematite squealed and rushed up to the throne where she threw herself down at the woman's skirts and hugged into them.  
"Oooohhhh....he's just so kirei!" she gushed. Beryl sighed and sweat-dropped.  
"Really," she said dryly. "What does he look like?"  
"He has this wonderful thick black hair, and great skin! And a GREAT body!" Hematite was so enthralled with the memory that she didn't notice the woman above her stiffen during the description.  
"What was his name?" she asked carefully.   
"I don't know," Hematite shrugged. "He was at the hospital with some kind of wound to his stomach or something. I saw him in the room while investigating the Ginzuishou." Beryl scowled, one hand tightening into a fist. "About that," Hematite continued, "it was totally strange how you were wrong about the Ginzuishou! I mean, there was a kind of high power there, but it wasn't the crystal."  
"Where did you think it was coming from?" Beryl asked.  
"Actually, it came from the hunk!" Hematite replied with a smile.   
Beryl removed the hand she had placed on the girl's head and placed it in her lap, staring straight ahead. The blond looked up and blinked in question. "What's wrong?" She stood to show her worry.  
After a few moments, Beryl locked her red eyes with the blue. "Hematite," she began coldly, "You will not see that man anymore."   
"Nani?!" Hematite shrieked. "Demo...demo doushite?" "Because I said no," Beryl answered, not skipping a beat.   
"De-"  
"Iie!" Hematite flinched slightly at the harsh-ness to her Queen's voice. Her lip began to tremple, her eyes misting over. "Have you forgotton your mission? Why it is that you even EXIST?!" Beryl shouted.  
"I..iie." Taking a deep breath, Hematite bowed stiffly and teleported out. Behind her, Beryl licked her lips in thought. Hematite had found him. This could be a problem. Surely, if they were to discover each other, her memories would be at the very distinct risk of being jarred.  
So, what was going to be the solution? Tapping one manicured nail on the arm-rest of her throne, she silently looked over all of her options. Well, she really only had one. A new mission for her. Instead of discovering the location of the Ginzuishou, she would be assigned something new.   
Tonight would be the night to start it. The process couldn't take any more than a few hours, and that was what Beryl wanted. She was beginning to become impatient. So much waiting had already been done for this precious crystal, and it was time for the plan to come to fruition.   
Tonight, would be a dreaming night. Dreams of pain, and sorrow, and new memories. Tonight was the step that brought the end into sight.  
~*~*~  
"Okay, so....you saw Usagi, but it....wasn't Usagi?" Rei asked. Minako nodded empathetically.  
"UN! She was there..." she waved her hands to try and help, "but...not." Ami sighed and bit her lip.  
"What we mean is that, it WAS Usagi, but she didn't seem to know us, her own name, and was obviously working for the Nega-verse."   
"EXACTLY!" Minako agreed, slapping her hand on the table. Artemis jumped, then turned and gave her a dirty look. He and Luna sat on the table, curled beside each- other.   
"Then, what are we going to do?" Rei asked. The table fell into silence as none of them could answer.   
"Find Usagi," Makoto suggested, "and BEAT some sense into her." Her voice was low and strained, and angry. Rei looked over where she held her head, staring at the table, and she smirked.  
"Ha ha, Mako-chan," she mocked. "You've come down from your little caffeine high, haven't you." She peered in closer and waggled a finger in the girl's face. "I TOLD you you'd feel the effects." Makoto grumbled and rubbed her temples.  
"Quiet you."   
"Eh..." Ami interrupted, "could we maybe get back on topic?"   
"HEY!" Minako slammed a fist into a palm, a look of epiphany on her face. "I just remembered something!"  
"Well?!" Rei snapped, practically jumping over the table to sit next to her.  
"Just before Usagi..or whoever, left, she seemed to be talking to somebody." Ami suddenly brightened and she nodded.  
"That's right! Minako, you're a genious!" Minako blushed and grinned. "She said....um...what was it... well she called them 'mommy.'"   
"Hai! And she seemed to be taking orders from them, 'cause she left right after that."   
Makoto looked up from her hands. "Who could this 'mommy' be?"   
Minako sucked in a breath. "You don't think....Queen Selenity?"   
"Yamate!" The four girls started at Artemis' outburst. He stood standing defiantly above Luna, giving them all cold looks. "It would *never* be Queen Selenity!She would not in her entire existence condone such behaviour!" Minako held up her hands in surrender.  
"Kya, Artemis, calm down...it was just a suggestion."  
"Well if it wasn't Selenity," Rei wondered aloud, "then who else?"   
"I have a feeling, that if we find that out," Ami began, "then we'll have a much better idea on how to deal with Usagi."   
~*~*~  
~Everything was so beautiful. The light shone around her like a halo, illuminating the gardens below her. Never before had she beheld such a perfect night. Looking up to the sky, she could see the moon smiling down on her, offering a wonderful finishing touch to the scenery.   
She pulled up a few of her skirts and stepped delicate feet down the white cobble-stone steps. She knew these gardens almost as well as she knew her own. Rose bushes crowded in off the path, sending a fragrent welcome as she walked.   
Finally, the fountain came into view. It was her favourite. A marble Selene leaning down to kiss her love. A lowly sheppard in a field, but so wonderful as to have earned the affection of a Goddess. Although set in one position, it showed all of the emotion she felt. Serenity could understand every feeling one could read off of the statue's face, and perhaps that was why she liked it so much.   
Crystal water laughed down from one of Selene's out-stretched hands, falling to a circle pool below where fish glittered in the twilight. The scene was like a dream, one that she hoped would always stay with her.  
Then, two gentle arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Soft lips brushed her ear, producing a tingle down her spine. "My love," she giggled. She could feel him smile, then rest his head against her shoulder.   
She rose a hand and buried it in the thick hair that was as soft as silk, revelling in the feeling. She turned around in his arms and buried her head against his chest. So warm, and strong, and caring. She loved him so much, and knew that he felt the same.   
"Aishiteru," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head, pulling her in closer. A sigh of pure happiness escaped as they stood together, so still that she began to wonder if their love would be captured in the same way as the statue.   
Suddenly, he pulled away from her. Startled, she looked up. Her love was choking, eyes wide. A sword was driven through his stomach, covered in his blood. Serenity gasped, her hands fluttering to her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes, a quiet cry building in her throat.   
The scream erupted and pierced the silence with a vengeance. Her love choked once more, glancing into her eyes only for an instant before he was engulfed in flames. He burned away until there was nothing left. Serenity stood still, her body shaking, but denying her request to shut down and let her release into unconciousness.  
Instead, her eyes trailed down, and fell upon the sword. Two white gloved hands held the hilt. Part of the uniform of Sailor Venus. She smiled at Serenity, then stepped back to stand with the other Senshi. Sailor Mars stared right into Serenity's eyes, then rose her pointer finger like a gun, and blew on the tip.   
Sailor Mercury and Jupiter smirked, arms crossed. Then Venus giggled, soon bursting into full laughter. The other Senshi joined her, laughing at her pain. They laughed.... laughed after what they had done. They....killed...laughed... killed him....pain....laughed.....pay.   
She would make them pay. Serenity's white dress shed away to reveal her black one. Her hair escaped from the buns and fell down her back like a golden river, weaving itself into a braid. Black ribbons tied themselves around her wrists and interwove into her hair.   
Her eyes shone with a glorious darkness, her face a mirror of her anger. Lifting one of her hands, she opened it and sent all of the Senshi flying back into cobble-stone steps. Opening another hand, she bathed in the sound of their screams as she slowly ripped away at them. This was what needed to be done, they deserved it.   
Looking on at the dead Senshi, no sense of completion came as it should. She wasn't finished. These were dream Senshi. She had to make the Senshi of the real world feel her pain.~  
  
Hematite's eyes snapped open, a new look of determination in the blue crystals. Sitting up in her bed, she swung her legs over the side and stood. Snapping her fingers together, moments later a youma appeared beside her.   
Serenity could do nothing. It was Hematite's turn. And she would make the Sailor Senshi pay with their lives for her loss. Play-time was over.  
~*~*~  
~ "Ne, Mako-chan!" a tiny Minako called. Makoto looked town from her position in a tree and smiled. Her tiny legs dangled in the air, swinging back and forth.  
"What?" she called down. Chibi Minako stamped her foot.  
"Come DOWN!"  
"Doushite?"  
"BeCAUSE!" Chibi-Makoto shrugged and slid off the branch. The fall was longer than she had thought, but she landed square on her feet with no problem.   
"What is it?" Minako smiled and put her hands on her hips.   
"I have to go pee," she replied matter-of-factly. Makoto gave her an odd look."Then why don't you go?"  
"Where?" Minako asked incredulously.  
Makoto looked behind her friend and pointed. "Just go in the cafeteria." Minako spun around to look. Sure enough, there was the hospital cafteria. Minako sighed and groaned, producing a cute little pout.  
"But it's so faaaar!"  
Makoto sighed. "THEN GO IN A BUSH!" she shouted. Suddenly, a chocolate cake replaced Minako's head. Makoto squealed in delight. "Cake!" She ran over to the cake and took a big bite out of it.   
"HEY!" Minako yelled. Two layers of the cake were were flapping together like a mouth. "That's my HEAD!" Makoto licked around her mouth and dove into it again. "Beep...beep...beep..." Makoto blinked.   
Suddenly Rei appeared behind her and screamed, "SHE'S GONNA BLOW!" Makoto looked up, and the cake had a tiny red button on the side was blinking at her.  
"Oh! A cake explosion!" Makoto smiled and opened her mouth wide.......~  
  
And woke up. She fluttered her eyes open. In her arms was one of her pillows, held tightly in her arms, feathers strewn about. Makoto coughed, producing more feathers. She groaned. "Never again, will I eat so much cake," she vowed.   
"Beep....beep....beep..." Wait a minute, the beeping was still...the communicator! Leaping up out of bed she fished around in her pile of dicarded clothes on the floor until she found what she was looking for. "I'm here!" she said.  
"About time," Rei snarked.   
"Who called?" Minako asked groggily.   
"I did," Rei replied.  
"What's wrong?" Ami inqured.  
"Outside the temple....Usagi is here!"   
"NANI?!" three voice chorused. "What do you mean?" Makoto asked.  
"She's....she's just standing outside in the court- yard," Rei's voice was becoming slightly panicked.  
"Have you tried talking to her?" Ami asked.  
"Hai, I did, but she wouldn't answer. I didn't want to push my luck."  
"All right, we're on the way," Minako affirmed.   
"Hang on Rei-chan!" Makoto said, then turned off the communicator. Quickly changing into the closest clothes she could find, which happened to be school uniform, she slammed the door behind her and set out at a dead run for Hikawa Shrine.   
~*~*~  
Rei looked outside through one of the windows. Usagi still stood there, arms crossed, an angry look on her face. She looked so different. Her hair was no longer in the famous style, her dress was the exact invert of that of Serenity. Black was a definite theme. Now Rei was getting a much better idea of what Minako and Ami had been talking about when they said that it WAS Usagi, but NOT at the same time.   
The priestess pulled the sash at her waist tighter, and decided to go out. Now that the other Senshi would arrive soon, she figured she should try talking to her friend again.   
Stepping outside, she walked down the steps, stopping about ten feet away from where Usagi stood. "Usagi, what are you doing here?" she asked. No reply. "The others are coming." This time, Usagi cocked an eyebrow.  
"Oh?"   
"Usagi!" Makoto had arrived, moments later joined by first Ami, then Minako. Turning, Usagi looked them over.   
"So, now the whole gang is here, ne? No wait," she said, pressing a finger to her lips. "Not everyone. Hope you don't mind but," snapping her fingers together, a youma suddenly materialized beside her, "I brought a friend."  
Each of the girls gasped in horror. Usagi had brought a youma down upon them? "Usagi-chan, yamete!" Ami yelled.   
Hematite narrowed her eyes, an hatred that neith Ami nor Minako remembered seeing the last time they had met. Something had changed, and now matters were even worse. Much, much worse.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Okay, okay, I know this was rather short. Gomen nasai! Right now, I'm in the midst of re-writing another fic, which has rather captured my attention, and test after test have just been SWARMING around lately. I'll try my best to get the next part out for next week, since they should be calmer. If not, then next week I'll have at least the first two parts or so up of my re-write.   
BTW, thanks so much to Ty Thai for sending me a short but sweet little e-mail about this story! I treasure it to this day. Please people, do NOT feel hindered in writing me! I welcome ALL feed-back. Oh, but flames are only appreciated if they are entertaining. *~_^*  
Yamete = Stop!/Stop it!  
~Wyvern 


	6. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 6

When My Love & I Parted - Part 6 When My Love & I Parted - Part 6  
By Wyvern (Konnichi wa!) japeena@hotmail.com  
Rated PG  
  
Hi everybody! So, I *finally* got around to writing the next part to this. Gomen nasai that I took so long, but I was feeling rather stumped there for awhile. Thanks for being patient! *^-^*  
Thanks again to all of my friends, even if they *have* been BUGGING me for the past 2 weeks to get this done. BAH! I love you guys!   
**********Standard Disclaimers Apply   
I don't own any of these marvelous peeps. Darn you Naoko! *shakes fist* Darn you to heck! NO! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE! WAAAAAAAAAAH!! Bring them back! I'm sorry sorry sorry! *relieved sigh* Phew. **********************  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes again. It seemed like the past few days had been just one large blur of sedatives and sleep. Not that he was sure he would have been much more were he not on the drugs, just tired. His chest felt heavy, and his thoughts ran thick through his mind.   
Usako was gone. He was laying injured in a hospital, unable to get up and even try to find her. Not that he had anything to even start the search with. But, if he could at least TRY.   
Thankfully, it appeared that he could be out sooner than he had thought. Somehow, he was healing quickly; very quickly. He'd always suspected part of his power centered in the healing magics, but now it was being confirmed with each passing day. The medical staff was stumped. They'd never seen a wound close so quickly. For a short while, they weren't too sure how to handle such a situation, and had only taken him off of the drugs that morning.   
The one small window in his room was mostly covered by a thin curtain. The nurse had hastily drawn it across, and so left a minor portion of the night revealed. With what could be defined as either misfortune or pure luck, the moon was in the right point in the sky to be seen through that small rectangle. It was only a sliver in the sky, a curved white line that burned into his eyes. Immediately he thought to Serenity, and turned away from the window.   
Although the memories were still sharp with pain, that night he found that they had a reverse effect then they had other nights by actually helping put him to sleep. The more he thought of her, the harder it was to keep his eyes open. And slowly, with the moon smiling down on him, Mamoru drifted off into a dream-filled sleep.  
~*~*~  
Selenity chose that exact moment. Stepping out of the dimensional pocket she occupied and partly into that of the mortal world. The room was dark, but with her spirit it took on a slight white glow. Right away she looked to the sleeping figure on the bed, for the first time in the few nights she had been watching him, in a peaceful slumber.  
If one were to watch her, they would swear that she flew over to the bed, her feet never touching the ground and her legs never moving. Reaching out a hand, she motheringly smoothed back a few stray bangs from his fore-head.  
Placing a palm over her heart, the Ginzuishou appeared beneath her hand. It's light engulfed the room as she uncovered it, but Endymion still did not stir. That was how she saw him. Prince Endymion, the young man who had earned her daughter's love, was once again going to be asked to hold a secret from his love. It would not be the last time, Selenity knew, and it wasn't the first. However, she was confident that he would do all that was within his power to guard it, and therefore the Princess.   
Turning her hand over, she released her grip and watched as it fell towards the ground. But a short distance down, it stopped abruptly and snapped upward a bit, dangling from a golden chain. Leading a delicate hand down to one of his strong ones, she opened the fingers and placed the necklace into it. Closing his fingers around it, she leant down and kissed his fore-head. "Protect this, and our shared heart."   
Her duty now fufilled, Selenity stood, wiped away a tear, and left, waiting until the next time she would be called upon. The next time she would be able to see her daughter, and feel her heart smile.  
~*~*~  
The Sailor Senshi stood in a wary state, encircling Hematite and the new youma. It was certainly nothing that they had ever seen before. The only distinguishing feature about it was the feminine shape. The colouring was completely white, no facial features or hair, not even a tacky outfit as the others tended to demonstrate.   
It simply stood stock still beside Hematite, waiting for instructions supposedly. "What...what is it?" Sailor Venus asked quietly.  
"Blank Slate," Hematite replied, apparently having heard her. "She is a youma in the making, you might say. You see, I couldn't really decide on what kind of youma to call upon, or person to target and then transform, so I decided that perhaps being emmersed in the battle might help in the choice," she explained with a slightly smug expression. "And I am very glad I did really."   
"What do you mean, witch?!" Sailor Mars asked harshly.  
Hematite scowled and turned dark eyes on her. "You always did shoot your mouth off, busu." Sailor Mars growled, taking a step forward. "What do you THINK?!" Hematite snapped. "How does an evil Senshi sound? Sailor Venus getting that long blond hair shrivled in flame, or Mercury electrocuted by volt after volt of lightning?"  
The Senshi around the circle now saw this fight at a whole new level. They each took attack positions around the circle, just waiting for the first move to be made.   
~*~*~  
Artemis ignored the twig poking into his neck, and continued his watch of the battle through the bush. The fight was not looking good for their side. A youma Senshi? The worst part was, there wouldn't be any way to heal them, since the Ginzuishou was lost, and only Sailor Moon could use it.   
Behind him, Luna rose her head up from her paws and trotted over to stand beside him. Her eyes were dull, but a hint of curiousity sparkled in them. She looked up to the battle, and started in shock. "USAGI!?" she shouted.  
Artemis jumped at the sound of her voice, the first she'd uttered in many days. "Luna?" he asked. The black cat was staring open mouthed at the fight scene, her tail upright in the air. A muscle in her shoulder jumped, her intentions becoming clear an instant too late as she bounded out from behind bush. "LUNA!" Artemis screamed, but if she had heard him, she wasn't paying any attention.  
~*~*~  
Movement in the shrubbery off to the side caught Hematite's attention, and she whipped her head around to watch it. A black cat came running out of the foliage towards her, slowing to a walk as she neared. The cat panted heavily, her red eyes wide.  
Hematite's lips curved in a smile, and she bent down, one hand out-stretched. "Pretty kitty," she purred.   
"Luna!" Sailor Mercury shouted.  
Without skipping a beat, Hematite said softly, "Luna, come here. Come to me." Luna didn't hesitate and skipped over to her palm and buried her head into it. Hematite smiled and gently picked her up, stroking her head. Looking back to the Senshi, she smiled. "You know what? Never mind." She looked down and smoothed a finger over Luna's crescent moon. The red eyes snapped open, the colour sinking into a crimson.   
Blank Slate suddenly moved and walked over to Hematite, who lay Luna into its arms. "Yamate!" Artemis shouted and ran up into in the clearing, but he was too late. Hematite snapped her fingers, and Blank Slate and Luna suddenly disappeared in a cocoon of black energy that spun itself up from the ground.  
"LUNA!" Sailor Jupiter and Venus screamed.   
"Iya!" Sailor Mars shouted, Mercury stood behind her, her face twisted in horror. With another snap of the fingers, Hematite dispelled the cocoon, and there stood a changed Luna.   
Human, and dressed in a red and black dress resembling a bloomed flower. Her long black hair was spun into a braid that circled around her head and then back to form a braided pony-tail. Her crescent moon was now silver to mirror Hematite's, and a black ribbon was tied around her neck; the entrails leading down behind her knees.   
"Luna?!" Sailor Mars asked, startled. Luna looked over and narrowed her eyes.  
"Of course not!" Hematite snapped. "Now she is my pet, one that will help me to destroy you all!"  
"DOUSHITE?! Why do you insist on destroying us?!" Sailor Venus screamed. Hematite suddenly lost her cool composure and whirled around, pointing an accusing finger, her eyes were glowing dark.  
"Don't you DARE speak to me with such impudence, murderer!"  
"Murderer?" Venus breathed, taking a step back.  
"You must ALL pay for your actions!" Looking around the circle, she rose into the air, her long dress floating above the ground. Beside her, Luna lifted off slightly as well. "I will not REST until you have suffered the same as I and my beloved!" Artemis and each of the Senshi gasped, unable to believe what they heard. "And that is why," Hematite continued, flying over to Luna and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I have chosen your little guardian kitty. She will know how to hurt you all the best."   
Luna smiled. Hematite leaned up and whispered into her ear. Luna quickly whispered back, her answer rewarded with a dark smile from her mistress. "Perfect. Why take such pains as I had initially thought?" A trail of smoke then spun up from the bottom of her dress, engulfing both her and Luna in it. Looking back down to the Senshi, Hematite grinned. "See you soon," she waved.  
"LUNA!!" Artemis screamed, tears beading in his eyes.  
"USAGI!" The Senshi yelled, their voices dying out as she and Luna disapeared.   
~*~*~  
Mamoru woke slowly, blinking his eyes open. He sighed. So the reality was the reality, not a dream as he had hoped. Nothing had changed.  
Except.....except there was something warm in his hand? Sitting up in bed, he pulled his hand up and opened it. There was the Ginzuishou, connected to a delicate golden chain. He gasped and pulled it up. "How-? Princess?"  
Looking over to the window, the curtain was pulled fully back, blowing in a light breeze. The moon was still only a sliver, but now it was strangely in the center of the window, winking down at him with a different light it seemed.   
Had Usagi given this to him? Was she still alive, and fighting secretly for them? Knowing Usagi, Mamoru couldn't picture her being a 'behind the scenes fighter,' but he didn't want to think of the alternatives.  
The crystal abruptly became warmer, drawing his attention down to it once more. He knew he would have to protect it, since the Nega-verse would no doubt be looking for it. Until the other Senshi arrived, he would have to hide it safely. His eyes fell on the chain, and he briefly wondered why that was there.   
Deciding to follow such an instruction as what seemed to have been given, he looped the necklace around his head. The crystal came down to lay just at his upper chest, a warm reassurance in the dark. He closed his fist around it again, as if sealing his vow of duty to keep it safe.   
Mamoru didn't notice the smoke that had been seeping into the room, creeping its way across the floor towards his bed. It wasn't until a wisp of it curled up onto the bed that he was aware. He stared at it quizzically. No smell, and of such a black colour that didn't suit this little amount of smoke. Suddenly, his eyes felt incredibly heavy. He blinked a few times, shook his head, but the room was spinning.   
He tried to throw aside the covers, but he found his limbs too heavy to move. His back fell up against the wall, he tried to fight off this feeling. But he lost. With a vocal sigh, his head fell limp, and one arm dangled loosely off of the side of the bed.  
~*~*~  
"USAGI!" Sailor Jupiter screamed, reaching out a hand as if to hold on to her. Opening her eyes, there was an empty patch of sky where her friend had once been.  
"Artemis!" Sailor Venus exclaimed, at ran over to him. He lay on the ground, unconcious.   
"He fainted?" Mars asked incredulously.  
"I guess so," Venus answered, picking him up carefully in her arms and stroking his head. "Poor Artemis."   
"What...what now?" Mercury wondered aloud. For a few moments, the Senshi stayed silent.   
".....she called me a murderer," Venus' choked words broke the silence.  
"I think she meant all of us," Jupiter said.   
"And she said she was going to make us pay for... for killing her beloved?" Mars asked.  
"That must be it," Mercury agreed. "Demo, who is her love?"   
"And why does she think we killed him?" Venus added.  
Jupiter slammed her fist into her palm. "It must be the workings of the Dark Kingdom. They've done this to her."   
"We've got to turn her back!" Mars exclaimed.   
Mercury nodded, but held up her hands. "We will, but first there may be a bigger problem. Remember, she vowed revenge upon us."   
Venus snapped her head up in shock. "You mean against our loved ones!" Mercury again nodded her head. Without another word, the Senshi ran from the clearing, each heading in different directions.  
~*~*~  
"Ojii-san!" Rei shouted, bursting into the temple.  
"Rei?" his voice met her frantic ears, and she sighed in relief.   
"Ojii-san, daijobu?" He snorted and put his hands on his hips.  
"Of course I'm all right! What's going on?" Rei shook her head.  
"N-nothing. I just...I had a nightmare."  
"A vision?"   
"Iie! Iie...gomen. Gomen for waking you. Go back to sleep," she said, turning him around and pushing him towards his room.   
"Demo-"  
"Gomen! Now, sleep!" she ordered. He gave her one  
more odd look then shrugged and slid the door shut.  
"Strange girl," he mumbled. Rei sighed and tossed some of her long hair behind her shoulder.  
"It doesn't make sense, why didn't she come here?"  
~*~*~  
Makoto threw up another stone to his bed-room window, praying that he would hear it. She let another one go, but this time it came into contact with a fore-head. "Ita!"  
"OH! Shinazuki-chan?"   
"Mako-chan?" his voice sifted down through the night, a welcome sound to her ears. "What's wrong?"  
He was all right? But...why? He was the only person truly close to her anymore, and it would only make sense for Usagi to have targeted him. It didn't fit together. "Mako-chan?" She realized she hadn't answered him.  
Scrambling for something to say, she looked around frantically. "Eh...eh....Shinazuki-chan...I just wanted to tell you...." her eyes fell upon his garden, "that you're flowers are looking a little dry! Well ja ne!" she finished hastily and ran away.  
"Mako-chan?! What the--Mako-chan?" he shouted after her, but she accelerated her run and ducked behind a corner. Pulling out her communicator, she buzzed the others. "Minna? Shinazuki-chan is fine! How about you?"  
Minako's face appeared on the screen. "My parents aren't hurt...." she sweat-dropped and ducked away for a second. "But they aren't too happy that I waked them up. They're throwing pillows at me!" She was suddenly thwacked with an object from the side, then replaced by Ami's worried face.   
"My mother is fine, I just checked up on her at the hospital."   
"Ojii-san hasn't seen anything either," Rei said.  
"This isn't making sense," Makoto said. "Shouldn't Hematite have tried to make a move on at least ONE of our loved ones?"   
"I know! It's just not adding up," Minako said, rubbing her head.  
"Oh NO!" Ami suddenly burst out.  
"Nani?" the other girls asked.  
"Luna told Hematite something just before they left! Something that Hematite said would make her plans easier!"  
"So?" Minako asked.  
"It wouldn't BE easy to hurt each of us singularly! She's gone after someone close to ALL of us!" For a moment more, the girls stood in silence. Then a shared idea struck them both.  
"Mamoru-san!" they each shouted in unisen. "I'll meet you at the hospital," Makoto said, then switched off the communicator and broke into a furious run.   
~*~*~  
Hematite swept into the room, Luna appearing soon after. They both walked over to the bed and peered over to the unconscious figure. "So, this is their joint weakness?" she asked the youma. Luna nodded.  
"Hai, Hematite-sama." Hematite waved a hand. "Don't call me that! Call me....Hema-chan! I like that!"   
"Un!" Luna replied with a smile. Looking back over to Mamoru, she grinned. "I think that he will serve your purposes."  
"I think so too....." Hematite leaned in to look closer. "I---I remember him...he...."  
"Nani?"   
"He.....OH!" she stood up and gasped. "He... was the guy I found here before!" Clapping her hands together, she giggled insanely. "This is great! I can pay the Senshi back, AND get a little bonus! Alright then..."   
Hematite then untied one of the ribbons around her wrists. Luna pulled the arm that hung down free up, so that Hematite could tie the ribbon around his wrist, fastening it into a tight knot. The hand fell down again at it's release, the ribbon sweeping the floor.  
"I suppose we're done then. They'll know, and try to prepare. Then we'll have fun," Hematite said. Luna nodded, her raven braids swaying slightly. The two looked back at Mamoru, and teleported out of the room.  
~*~*~  
The girls met up at the front of the hospital, each gasping for breath. "We have to get to him!" Makoto breathed. Running into the lobby they went straight for the elevator, ignoring the alarmed protests of the nurse at the front desk. At his floor, they checked the halls and then made a dash for his room.   
Slipping into the room one by one, Minako clicked the door shut softly behind her. "Hit the lights!" Rei hissed. Ami stumbled around for a couple of moments and finally found the panel, flipping the flat lightswitch up.  
The girls each gasped in fear at what the light brought. "Mamoru-san!" Minako said, alarmed. Makoto rushed over to where he was collapsed and took hold of his shoulders, giving them a slight shake.   
"Mamoru-san! Mamoru-san, wake up!" she said worriedly. His head bobbed back and forth as she jarred his body, but his eyes didn't open. Ami came over and pressed two fingers to his throat.  
"He's so cold!" she remarked. "But, he has a heart- beat."   
"Then why isn't he waking up?" Rei asked.  
"I don--"  
"Minna, look!" Minako exclaimed, pointing downwards. Four sets of eyes locked down at his wrist, and widened. "She's already been here," Makoto said darkly, referring to the black ribbon.   
"We have to get it off him," Ami said, pulling his hand up.   
"Does anyone have scissors?" Rei asked.   
"Kuso, I wish I'd brought my purse. I have a nail file in there," Minako mumbled.   
"Give it here," Makoto said, taking his wrist and bringing it up to her mouth.  
"Mako-chan?!" Rei asked, shocked. Taking it in her teeth, Makoto began to pull and gnaw at the ribbon.  
"Is it working?" Minako asked.   
"Hol- on," Makoto grunted. Her eyebrows pressed together as she bit down harder. After a few more agonizing moments, she finally pulled away and then gave a tug at the ribbon, breaking it from his wrist. To all of the girl's relief, Mamoru groaned and shifted in the bed.   
"It worked! All right Mako-chan!" Minako said cheerfully. Ami moved around and gave his cheek a pat, noticing the change in the temperature of his skin.  
"Mamoru-san? Daijobu?" His eyes blinked open slowly, then snapped open at the blue head above him. "Ami? Wh--what's happening?"   
"You...you...we'll tell you later," Rei stuttered. He looked around and gave her an odd look, then gazed over to the other girls. He looked at Minako, his eyes narrowing in question.  
"Who--"   
She blushed, then smiled brightly. Stepping into her Sailor V pose, she laughed. "I'm Sailor Venus! We... never really met before. My name is Minako Aino," she said, coming over and bowing slightly.   
"Oh. Hai, I remember," he said, mostly to himself. His eyes fell upon the broken ribbon on the sheets, picking it up with a careful grasp. "What's this?"  
"Mamoru-san...." Ami started, looking uncomfortable. "A lot has happened in the past few weeks. We were going to tell you on one of our prior visits, but we've just been figuring it out now for ourselves as well."  
"Nani?" he asked. Makoto sighed and sat down in the room's chair. Minako leaned back against the wall, Ami and Rei took a seat down on the bed.   
"This is going to be a shock," Rei said softly.  
"And take quite a while to explain," Makoto added.   
When they finished, Mamoru was dazed and upset. Usako? A soldier of the Dark Kingdom, out to destroy the Senshi, and now targeting him? "This...this is...."  
"Nuts, I know," Minako said. He put his head in his hands. The Ginzuishou fell forward from beneath his shirt at his hunched position. Suddenly remembering it, he closed a fist around it. The warmth seeped through the shirt, helping to comfort him enough to sift through all this new information.  
Reaching out behind his head, he pulled the chain over and let the crystal fall down from his hand. The Senshi gaped in astonishment. "The Ginzuishou!" Makoto gasped. Mamoru nodded and set it down on the bed.  
"I woke in the middle of the night with it in my hand. I don't how it got there, since I didn't have it when I fell asleep."   
"Do you think Hematite gave it to you?" Rei asked.  
He shook his head. "That wouldn't make any sense. From what you've told me, she should be looking for it. And besides, I had it when I was knocked out."  
"Then why didn't she take it?" Minako pointed out.  
"Perhaps she can't sense it when it's with me," he suggested. Ami thought for a moment, then nodded.  
"That could be. Especially if Queen Selenity was the one to give it to you."  
"Nani?" the girls asked.  
"Well, think about it," she began. "How did we escape the Dark Kingdom? How did Mamoru get the Ginzuishou? It would probably make sense that it's the handi-work of Queen Selenity helping us to get her daughter back safely."   
Minako snapped her fingers. "Which means that it WASN'T her who Hematite was talking to! Why would a girl with no memories respond to a past mother?" she asked rhetorically.  
"Most likely, you're right," Ami confirmed. "Anyway, the fact that she can't tell when you have it means that you are going to have to be the one to keep it. We can't experiment to see if any of us have the same effect, since if we were wrong we would lose it. However, you having it is also dangerous since she has now targeted you as the vessel for revenge."   
Makoto nodded and picked up the ribbon. "She's just warning us with this. She WANTS us to try and stop her, for us to take pains to protect you."   
"I can take care of myself," Mamoru said.  
"Not like that you can't," Rei retorted. "Haven't you noticed? Your healing has been miraculous, but you are still weak. You can't fight as Tuxedo Kamen like that yet. If you ask me, you're just healthy enough to leave the hospital."   
"Un!" Minako agreed. "If we can get you out of here, then it might be harder for Hematite to--oh...no," she stopped and sighed heavily, "I forgot about Luna. She will be able to tell her where to reach you."   
"Actually, Luna has never been to my apartement," Mamoru corrected.  
"Oh! Well then it WILL work!" Minako said.   
"Hai. But who knows how long it will take her to find out where you live?" Makoto pointed out.   
"If we're lucky, long enough to figure out a way to get Usagi back and for Mamoru to fully heal," Rei said. Makoto sighed and leaned her head on a fist. "And if we're not...."  
Rei shrugged. "Then we improvise."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Now, normally, I might put "Dun dun DUN!" here, except that that was a VERY anti-climatic ending. Tho, I suppose it would be......a rather dry: ta da. ;p  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! A little longer, but I like to keep them fairly short.   
Japanese Words I Used (Just in Case)  
Un! = Yeah!  
Daijobu = Are you all right? (Or) You're all right.  
Iie = No  
Nani = What  
Demo = But  
Doushite = Why  
Gomen/Gomen Nasai = I'm sorry/I'm so sorry   
Iya = No (to an action)  
Hai = Yes  
Busu = Pig, but about the absolute WORST thing you can call a girl  
Kuso = Damn (Or any other of a bunch of bad words)  
Ja ne = See you later (or something along those lines ;p)  
Minna = Everyone   
Yamate = Stop  
Ojii-san = Grandfather  
Whoo! That's a doozy! Hope it helps though!   
Suki da yo!  
Ja ne,  
Wyvern   



	7. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 7

When My Love & I Parted - Part 7 When My Love & I Parted ~ Part 7  
Rating: This is PG13 because of some....eh you'll find out.  
By: Wyvern! Me! *^-^*  
Kon'wa minna! Lookit me, rearing my ugly little head after sooooooo long. Thanks so much to Liz and to Usa-chan, who sent me the e-mails that spurred me into writing all of this! Plus thanks to Sailor Chibi Crow, DQBunny (read their stuff, it kicks mighty bum!) and to Jessica, for all being such sweeties!   
  
***********Insert Standard Disclaimer here. All of these characters are copyright Noako Tekuchi and Kondasha Comics Industries. ...... What?! You expected some crazy little thing in here? Humph. I'm not in the mood. So there. ;p****************************  
  
Enjoy! *^-^* Pwease?  
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The lights. The street lights reflecting in the wet window as they left him. He would watch one as it came into view, then pass him by not to be seen again. They were almost like tall spirits standing vigil over the cars on the road. Hunched over as if they were there to protect the people. Protect or hurt.   
To think, that with one wrong move, one misstep, a protector could become the assailant. Or perhaps worse, become completely useless altogether. Become a burden upon the protectors. Like he was now.   
"Mamoru-san," Mamoru pulled out of his thoughts, jerked away from him by Minako's voice. "We're almost there."   
Blond hair. Blue eyes. Bright face. He had to look away from the girl in the shot-gun seat ahead of him before his eyes began to sting any worse. Swallowing, he nodded and said, "Arigato" in a voice that sounded husky even to him.   
She cast him one more worried glance before turning back around to face the front. Her father stiffened in the driver's seat. The leather beneath him gave away his posture so obviously that Minako could even tell he wasn't very happy. 'About having to drop off a burden,' Mamoru thought sourly.   
He hated this. He hated having to be helped with feeding himself, getting his clothes on, getting to his own home even. He hadn't needed help for most of his life, and now was not a time when he wanted to start.   
He thought to the wheel-chair and crutches in the trunk and almost physically winced. Thankfully the wheel-chair was just there as a back-up. The crutches were what he mainly used now. Soon though, soon he wouldn't need either. With every night's sleep he felt closer to his old independence, but it was still just at arm's reach.   
An odd analogy came to him from an old memory. In the orphanage, one of the adults had come back with a jar full of candy meant for children on their birthdays. He and another friend had managed to evade getting caught until they reached the kitchen where the prize stood on the top of one of the highest cupboards. Being one of the tallest and lightest there, Mamoru was chosen to stand on the top of the ladder made of he and his friend to bring the treats down for them both. On wobbly legs, he slowly stood up and reached out for the jar. Biting his lip, he could remember trying to WILL his fingers to grow longer, but they were still just shy of the jar. He tried so many times to at least touch it, but always it was too far away.   
An analogy fitting for the present situation. Now, he could reach up with one hand just by himself and reach the ceiling of that kitchen, he was sure, but not then. Then, like his present condition, meant he had to be patient until he grew to the right height, or until the right state of health. It would come. And when it did....Mamoru tightened his hands into fists on his lap..... 'No longer will I be a burden.'  
~*~*~  
At Mamoru's strained reply, Rei changed her gaze from outside the car to inside, directly at him. He seemed completely unaware of her observing him, not two feet away. Mamoru 'felt' different. In the way that she could 'feel' people, something about him was very out of balance. It was almost frightening.   
She didn't favour the word 'aura', but in many ways it was the best word. With some people, it took getting to know them, learning about them, seeing what made them tick. But with Mamoru, he immediately gave off such a powerful feeling it was staggering to one who was not looking for it. She did know how to describe it. The first time she had seen him, she had almost fallen off her train car. (AN: Member that time in the theme park when they're all on the kiddie train? I think that was the first time Rei ever met Mamoru. *crosses fingers* I hope!) It...the best way she had ever thought to explain him, was a deep red. Not of anger, nor of lust or passion, as red usually represented because none of those feelings were laced in him. It was just a deep red.  
Now though, it was no longer so rich a colour. Lighter, fainter and...almost with a sad tinge to it. Her heart went out to him, and not only in a reflection of her past feeling for him. Such suffering wasn't fair. When you got right down to it, it just wasn't FAIR.  
But what could she do about it? Until this Hematite creature reappeared she didn't think there was any way of getting to her. 'NO! There HAS GOT to be a way!' a new reserve of strength suddenly yelled at her. 'Ami can find something....we can get to the Dark Kingdom and destroy Beryl and all of their kind once and for all!'   
Rei rose her eyes from the back of Minako's seat and locked her violet ones with blue. Minako had turned and was staring straight at the raven-haired Senshi. She nodded slowly, an expression so serious that it contrasted with everything Rei had thought about her. Her yellow 'aura', was tinged with red. She was out for justice.   
~*~*~  
"So we've set up the communicator right..." Minako swiveled on her feet and pointed to the stereo, "here. Behind your stereo and stuff." She turned back around and gave a blinding smile, "Kay?"  
Rei stepped in and set a more serious mood. "One of us will always be listening, Mamoru-san, so if anything should happen, she can alert the others and we'll be right over."   
Mamoru nodded from his position on the couch. Both girls could tell he was exhausted, so they decided to each take their leave. Rei coughed. "Well, we'll be seeing you later, okay?"  
He lifted his head and blinked slowly, then nodded again. "Hai. Arigato."   
The girls blushed and hurriedly left the room, Minako shouted a "Ja ne!" as she closed the door.   
  
He watched the girls leave, and with the click of the door let out a heavy sigh. Finally, he was alone. Alone with his thoughts, his demons. He closed his eyes tight, trying to shut them out.  
Something brushed his cheek. So soft. With a gasp he opened his eyes to look around, but there was nothing there. He could have sworn... Suddenly the phone rang, shattering the silence.   
Mamoru turned and eyed the crutches leaning against the post of the couch. The answering machine switched on after the third ring. "Hi, I'm not in right now, but if you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as possible." -Beep-   
"Oi, Mamoru-san! It's Motoki calling! Just wanted to see if you were around!" Mamoru rolled his eyes and pushed himself off of the couch with a grunt. "So...are you there? Come on...you must be home by now! I mean, I found out from Makoto. Why would she know before me?! HellloooOOOooo....pick up Mam"-click.   
"I'm here, baka."   
"Oi! How are you doing big guy?"   
"Can't complain. A little sore, but y'know."   
"Yeah, right," Motoki replied sympathetically. "Sure is crazy about how this all happened." Mamoru started, a question catching in his throat. "Something like that makes you wonder about going out at night."   
"N-nani?" he choked out. How could he have known about the fight?  
"Oh gimme a break! The stabber! Y'know, EE EE EE EE!" Mamoru jerked his ear away from the receiver. He could just *see* Motoki waving his hand in the air.   
'Dumb American movies.' He sighed. "Right...well. Yup, crazy I guess."   
"Insane. That reminds me, it sure has been nuts around Crowns without you lately. All of these girls moping about, asking me every twenty minutes if I knew where you'd gone. Yeesh, Mamoru-san! At least book these little incidents ahead of time with me so that I can properly manage your legions of fans."   
Mamoru chuckled. "Gomen."   
"Yeah, well. Don't worry about it. Ne, you're not the only reason things have been different about here either. Usagi and her little group have been missing too! I mean, Makoto stopped by earlier and I pried what had happened to you out of her, but as for the others they've been totally absent. You wouldn't know anything about this, would you? I only ask since Makoto knew about *you*. Mamoru-san? Eh...hello?"   
He swallowed hard. Shaking his head, Mamoru cleared his throat and said, "Um...no Motoki-san. Can't say that I do. Gomen, demo..I have to get going. I'm really tired so-"  
br "Oh yeah! No problem! Pop by the arcade when you're feeling better and I'll treat to something chocolate."   
"Arigato. Ja."  
"Ja!" -click-  
With a groan of exhaustion, he set the receiver down and trudged towards his room. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Motoki he was tired. At this point he could barely keep his eyes open. Finally reaching it, he fell down onto the bed and closed his eyes. It felt like someone brushed his face with a hand, rather like he had always imagined a mother might. Feeling comforted, he succumbed to a dream-less sleep.  
The Prince was not going to suffer tonight. Selenity promised.  
~*~*~  
Luna awoke to the sound of her mistress in distress. Blinking her red eyes, she lifted her head from her arms. Turning her head around, there indeed was Hematite, crying in her sleep. She tossed her head about, tears streaming down her cheeks. Every so often a light moan would pass through her lips, or a high scream.  
Quickly uncurling from her position at the foot of the large bed, Luna moved around to the side. "Hema-chan...wake up.." With that didn't work, she placed her hands on her shoulders and gave them a light shake. "Hema---CHAN!" The girl suddenly snapped her eyes open, taking in a breath of air so deep that it sounded painful.   
Shaking, Hematite slowly looked up into Luna's concerned face. To the cat's surprise, she was violently pushed away to fall to the floor. "Don't touch me," Hematite said. Bringing her knees up underneath her chin, still trembling fingers were buried in sweaty bangs.   
"Demo...Hema-chan-"  
"GO AWAY!!" Luna winced at the loud scream, recoiling even in her position on the floor. She got up, still dwindling for a moment, watching with wary eyes. Hematite wiped away the tears, smearing them across her face.  
"Murderers, all of them," she mumbled. It was barely coherent, and the rest of the words that came streaming from her mouth weren't. Stepping out to the door of Hematite's room, Luna looked back one more time and went through the portal.  
She had to do something. But what? What could possibly help her mistress enough? This was getting out of hand. In the past few days that she had been with Hematite, her condition was obviously much different then the one she put on for the Sailors. She cried when she thought she was alone. Any time that she tried to sleep was flamed by the witnessing of her past lover's murder. Even those times that she had confided in her new pet, the therapeutic venting only lasted for a few hours at most before she was back to her torment.   
Luna rest her back on one of the walls to think. 'Wait a minute!' She smiled and clapped her hands. 'Queen Beryl! Surely she will want to aid Hema-chan! Of course!' Teleporting away from the room, she brought herself down in the throne room, and found herself surrounded by youma. 'Rats. My aim still sucks.' Wrinkling her nose, she pushed bodies away from her, her goal set on the lit throne at the front.   
Bursting out from the crowd, Luna sniffed and smoothed down the wrinkles in her dress. Facing the throne, she dipped into a deep curtsy. "Queen Beryl-sama, I have come wit-" She wasn't there. "Shimata!" Luna swore, kicking at the ground. "Where did the Queen go?"   
-Metallia-  
-Queen Metallia-  
-Queen-  
-Metallia-sama-  
-Queen-sama-  
The slimy whispers of the youma behind her caused Luna to pulled a memory from what Hematite had given her. She remembered sitting in this throne room. Youma buzzed whispers and ramblings, but such things were always ignored. Luna smiled. 'Well I guess this time they actually know what their rambling about.'   
Luna tried to teleport to Metallia's chamber, but found she couldn't. It was blocked by a power that drowned her own, which meant there was no way in the Dark Kingdom for her to reach Beryl until she returned. But....another of Hema-chan's memories told her that Queen Beryl often spent *days* with Metallia. She couldn't wait that long!  
So....what else was there? Hematite is upset because she has lost somebody. Which means...she's lonely. But she has me! Mmmmm...probably lonely for a guy. Luna figured it probably wouldn't work to just pick some guy off of the street and present him to her, since Hematite wasn't going for sex. She missed love. Luna shrugged. 'Whatever. Oh! Wait! Mamoru!' This came from one of her *own* memories. The young stud Chiba Mamoru, a.k.a. Tuxedo Kamen, a.k.a. Prince...em....Luna stopped for a moment. Now, she KNEW that she knew this. She was there when it happened. He was Prince of Earth..Endymion! That's it! Oddly, something tugged at the back of her mind about him. About him and Hematite. But it escaped her before she could explore it.  'Ah well.' She stood and grinned. 'She'll love this gift!' Luna thought happily.  ~*~*~ Artemis rested in the midst of a thick cloud of his favourite blankets and stuffed animals. Of course, the toys were all shredded to bits, but he still liked them. Minako had laid him down in this little haven after the fight, a spot on the wooden chest at the foot of her bed. She knew it would help him feel better. Though, granted, not much. In the past few days, Artemis had barely stirred from that spot. Only when he felt hungry or other needs called. There had been absolutely no youma activity, so it wasn't as if he was needed for the Senshi.  
He doubted that he would be any good to them anyway. What was he good for, anyway? Luna was gone. Their Princess was gone and brainwashed. He should have been able to do something about this.   
And so, he moped. Well, that's what Luna would have called it. He would call it mourning, or pining, but she would have chided him for being so lazy and mopey, instead of going out there and doing something about all of this.   
'Or she would have, before Usagi was taken.' It struck him as rather ironic, that he had been trying to bring Luna out of much of the same behaviour he was displaying only a few weeks ago. Now he was in the exact same spot that she had been, only with two burdens upon his back instead of just one. Both hurt so much that his entire body felt sore, but each for their own reasons. One tugged at his soul, the other, his heart.   
With a sigh, Artemis tucked his head a little deeper beneath his arms and the blankets. Perhaps, if he buried himself deep enough, the hurting would stop.   
He could almost feel her rough tongue caressing his head. She'd only ever done that once, when he'd been sick, but he loved it. It was comforting. In fact...he *could* feel it! Raising his head, he found himself staring into dark red eyes. "Luna?" he asked incredulously.   
"Artemis," she purred, then suddenly tucked her head underneath his chin. He choked, not sure how to react. Her soft purring lulled him into comfort, and he closed his eyes to her touch. "I missed you," she said.  
"I missed you too," he murmured. They stayed like that, just close to each other, for a few more moments. Artemis stopped. Just stopped in that moment. Nothing else was around him, except for her. All he could feel was his heart swelling in his chest, his eyes watering from relief. She was back. She was back.   
"Artemis?"   
"Hmmm?"  
"How is Mamoru-san doing?"  
"Mmmmfine."  
"Could we go visit him?"  
"Prrrrwhy?"  
"I would like to know whe--how he's doing." She pulled her head away from beneath his and looked into his lazy eyes. Giving his nose a quick lick, she bat her thick eyelashes and asked again. "Where is Mamoru-san staying?"   
The cloud lifted from Artemis' mind, and he backed slightly away from her warmth. "Doushite?" he asked warily.   
"I'm just curious," she replied with a pout that screamed of innocence. But she'd lost ground, and now Artemis was on to her. He stood up and backed away, both ears laid back on his head. It was now that he noticed the small black ribbon tied around her neck. 'I'm so stupid,' he scolded himself. "Iie. Leave now, Luna." She blinked, cocking her head with wide eyes.  
"Doushite?"  
"You're on their side now. Get out."   
Narrowing her eyes, she sniffed and turned around, then jumped off the bed. Artemis stayed on his claws, still waiting for her to reappear. And that she did, suddenly exploding up from the side of the bed into her human self. He hissed, his tail rigid in the air.  
"Oh come on now, Artemis!" she said, in a...friendly manner? His tail went lax, but with teeth still bared Artemis growled. "Come on," she stooped down at the waist and outstretched a hand, "be with me."   
A head-ache slammed into Artemis, grabbing onto his mind like a clawed hand. It blew him back mentally, sending the world around him reeling. In fact, he fell off the bed. Muttering, he rubbed his head with a hand.   
~*~*~  
Well this was getting tedious. After all of that petting and purring, still this little kitty wasn't talking. Luna had been very frustrated when she had remembered that although she was able to connect the man in the hospital to Mamoru, she had no clue where to find him. He couldn't be at the Arcade, since he wouldn't be healed enough to be out and about, and after a quick trip to the hospital, and one freaking out of another patient, she confirmed that he had been checked out.   
So? What better place to go then the one guy that would know, and wouldn't blast her with something or at least put up much of a fight? She just thanked her lucky stars that she had run by Sailor V's home once before that whole 'Starlight Tower' thing began. (AN: I know, I shouldn't use 'Starlight Tower' since I'm trying to do all this in the Japanese way. But I REALLY don't know what they called it! Gomen! *^-^* If you do, just let me know and I'll change it, okay? Arigato!) Otherwise she would have REALLY been stuck.   
'Okay, Plan A was a flop,' she thought, then grew to her other form. 'Time for Plan B.' Greeted with a hissing kitty, she met him with a much more pleasant demeanour. "Oh come on now, Artemis!" she said playfully, pleased to see that he calmed down slightly from confusion. Preparing the spell in her left hand, she crouched over and reached it out to him. "Be with me."   
The spell launched from her palm and smacked right into him, then soaked in. His white head ducked, eye squint shut from it's first affects. The small body began to stretch and grow. White fur became pale skin, some lengthening into a long head of hair. With the size change, he became too big for his spot on the bed and actually fell backwards off the other side. She had to hold in a giggle when she heard the 'bonk' of his head and the mild cursing that followed.   
That was soon interrupted by a startled yelp, and he jumped up on his legs to stand before her. 'My...that *was* a good change.' He stared blue-silver eyes into hers, a handsome face blank with shock. As she had first seen, there was a river of white hair divided in front and behind his shoulders, falling down to his lower back. A rather interesting outfit was also apparently part of his transformation, all white of course.   
When she sized him up, his own sight flew down to his new form. Staring at his hands, he looked back up at her and asked, "What...what have you done?"   
Luna gave one of her cutest smiles and shrugged. "Would you believe, not much." She rose onto the bed, and crawled over on just her knees to his side, saying as she travelled, "all I did was wake up the same transformation in you that Hematite did in me. We *are* humans, Artemis," she reached the edge and climbed down, slowly rising to stare at him in the eyes, "but we've just been trapped in the bodies of cats. So you know what that means..." she rose her lips to his ear, brushing away a few strands of hair with a soft gesture, and whispered, "don't you?"   
He gulped heavily. But to her surprise, he actually moved away from her. Stumbling slightly around the bed, he backed over to the far side of the room. "L-Luna...you need to--you must leave." He was standing with a bit more confidence now, displaying that he actually was quite tall.   
Now her patience was thinning. With a snarl she pulled him over her with a force, then threw him down on the bed. Using a bit of magic, she pinned him to it. Moving atop him, she crawled up to his face until they were practically nose-to-nose. He tried to get up, struggling beneath her. "No use," she said softly, brushing a some of his bangs away from his eyes. "Now, will you let me finish what I was going to say?" He stayed silent. "Think about it Artemis. If we're both human, that means that we're subject to the same thing that they are. Which includes......what?"  
Meeting her gaze with anger, he bit out, "Pain?"  
Luna laughed. "Well....yes. But that wasn't what I was thinking of. I had a different word in mind Artemis." She lowered her head and lay a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Pleasure."   
"We can experience them together Artemis, you and I. You do want that, don't you?" No reply. Just wide eyes. She smiled and inhaled, pressing herself more against him. "And I only need one thing from you. Where, is Mamoru, staying?"   
She searched his eyes. Uncertainty flickered through them. She could tell this wasn't easy for him. "Leave, Luna. I won't tell you." His eyes had hardened, a match for the tone of voice now used.   
Her last thread of patience gone, instead of replying she pressed her lips to his in a powerful kiss. 'He's actually not bad,' she mused. When the spell was set, she broke off the contact and checked his eyes. Able to see herself in the black orbs, she knew that it had worked. "Artemis, where is Mamoru staying?" she asked.   
"At his apartment."  
Rolling her eyes, she asked a more specific form of the question. "Where is Mamoru's apartment?"   
"B-building 26 on the Lakeshore, apar--" he blinked, fighting the magic. Brushing her lips with his again, the hesitation stopped. "Apartment number 1008 on Floor 11."   
YES! Success! 'And about ruddy time, too.' "Thanks handsome!" she said happily. She kissed him once more, taking the spell back and letting him down in a deep sleep. Getting off him, Luna was dismayed to find that she was slightly light-headed. "All of that magic-use is tiring," she mumbled. So she teleported out of the room, and back to the Dark Kingdom. Of course, she had forgotten something.   
Artemis turned over on his side and continued to sleep soundly, his feet hanging off the end of Minako's bed. Below him the door slammed, and a cheery voice called up the stairs. "Hey minna! I'm home!"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Dun dun dun!! Wow. Can you believe I actually got this chapter out? I can't! Yaaay! *^-^* This sure was a long one, huh. Well compared to the others I mean.   
I'm not gonna reiterate all of the JP words I used here, but since I used a couple newbies:   
Yamaro = Stop it.  
Oi = Hey  
If you've gone through this and are frustrated out of your mind because there are words that just don't make sense, go back to my other chapters and read the long lists there. They should make more sense! *^-^*   
Oh, one more thing. I also had to make up where Mamoru's apartment is. I *think* I remember it being near water, that's why I used 'Lakeshore.' Again, if you know, please just e-mail me and let me know! I'm a sucker for e-mail, and I'd just LOVE to hear from you! Plus, I NEED feed-back! Opinions, constructive criticisms, whatever! Please!   
'Till next time!  
Suki da yo!   
Ja ne,  
Wyvern  



	8. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 8

When My Love & I Parted - Part 8 When My Love & I Parted ~ Part 8  
Rated PG  
By Wyvern *^-^*  
  
Kon'wa minna! Hey hey, I got another one of these cranked out! Yaaaaaaay!   
So, thanks again to Usa-chan, and to ylewis for sending me their support. (AND Tame-chan, ya little suck. *^-^*) *sniff* Love you guys!  
  
*********Standard disclaimer. All of the following characters are copyright Noako Tekuchi and Kondasha Industries. Huzzah for them! Hip hip! HUZZAH!!! (Sorry, too much Renaissance fair. ^_^;)******   
And now, our feature presentation. *grin*  
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Minako sighed as she closed the door behind her. Slipping her shoes off and replacing them for her comfy slippers, she walked up the two stairs to the rest of the house. Why hadn't anyone called back? "Hello? Mom? Dad? Artemis?" With no reply, she shrugged. 'They probably went out.'   
She moved into the kitchen and headed right for the fridge, then noticed the note on the freezer door. ~Hi Minako! You're dad and I went to a movie. Dinner is in the fridge, we'll be back later! Mom~ Sighing again, Minako shook her head and took out a pitcher of juice, then a cup from the cupboard. 'It figures.' Stretching out, she plunked two feet down on a chair in front of her and poured her drink. 'However, now I have the house to myself!' she thought cheerily, taking a gulp of juice. 'To......' she sweat-dropped, 'drink juice.'   
The *idea* of doing anything any more fun was even draining. 'School was such a pain. Bah...I really wish there wasn't school right now. What with Usagi gone and youma fights here and there,' she yawned, 'I'm pooped!'   
She'd actually been home a little late because Ami had stopped her on the way home. Instead of doing a whole big meeting, she figured that a four-way on the communicator was enough. So, ducking into an alley, Minako had listened to the blue-haired wonder explain what SHE had been experiencing at Juuban Middle School.   
~ "I thought I should explore all of the variables-as in the students-before I gave a full report, minna, that's why this comes so late."  
"So?" Rei barked.  
"Not so loud, Rei-chan," Makoto grumbled.  
Before any bickering could manifest, Ami continued. "Look, since Usagi left, it's been just like it was at her house, at Juuban! None of the teachers remember her, none of the kids even recollect knowing her, and so things have changed a bit."  
"Like...?" Minako asked.  
"Well, like Naru and Umino. They are much closer. Almost... chummy."   
"So what you're saying is, that just like what happened at Usagi's house, the Ginzuishou has erased any knowledge of her from the school?" Rei summed up.   
Ami nodded. "Hai."  
"But....why?" This wasn't making sense to Makoto. "Couldn't they just assume that she was away sick, or on a vacation or something?" "Yeah," Minako chimed in, "why should the Ginzuishou go to all of the trouble to change their realities?"   
"Ooo! Good word play Minako!" Makoto said brightly. Minako smiled.  
"Arigato!"  
"Probably it 'changed their realities' as Minako said, because can you imagine the confusion if they called her house to check? Remember, if the school isn't given enough notice, they call home to make sure that the parents know about the student's dissapearance," Ami explained.  
"Right," Rei said, "and if the Tsukino's claimed that they didn't know any 'Usagi', that could cause some trouble."   
Minako chewed on her bottom lip. "Point taken."   
"Alright girls, that's all I wanted to say," Ami concluded.  
"Fine. I would like to have a meeting tonight though," Rei said.  
Makoto sighed. "At the temple?"  
"Hai. This is important."  
"Well why didn't we do it on the WEEK-END?!" Makoto barked out, showing her own signs of frazzle.  
"BECAUSE," Rei shot back just as sharply, "we needed to get Mamoru settled in, the temple was a mad-house with charm sales, and I figured that since we're all so tired two extra days couldn't hurt."  
"Rei-chan!" Ami said, sounding shocked. "I'm surprised at you! You know that right now we need to stay on top of things! Anything important regarding Usagi should be adressed immediately!"  
Rei stuttered for a few moments, gasping and sputtering as she attempted a recovery. Smiling Minako said, "Daijobu, Rei-chan. I understand why you did it." Taking in a breath, she said, "No worries! So tonight, at the temple, say....nine o'clock?"  
Makoto nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'll be there."  
"Me too," Ami said.  
"Good. See you tonight, minna," Rei said, then dissapeared from the link.   
"Ja guys!" Makoto left, then Ami. Turning off her communicator, Minako replaced it in her bag and left the alley.~  
  
So that was where she stood, so to speak. A meeting tonight at Rei's, about what she suspected they had both felt in the car the other day. Stifling a groan, Minako rubbed her fore-head with one and lifted her glass with the other. 'I wonder where Artemis is,' she suddenly thought. Setting her glass down, she unconciously began to spin it on the smooth surface. 'He sure has been broody lately. Why do cats always have to be so broody? *I* want to get to be broody!'   
Minako was tired. And Minako was grumpy. And Minako was about ready to kick some kitty toosh. Slamming the fist that had been twirling the glass down onto the surface, she jumped up, ignoring the juice that was now making a lovely pool on the table and slowly the floor, and headed for the stairs. 'I'm sick of working while he sleeps like a log and sulks! That's IT! I'm going to give that feline a piece of my mind!' And she started up for her room.   
~*~*~  
Metallia had grown silent. Beryl had first come into her great rulers' presence with the simple task of an update on their situation. Hematite was coming along nicely. She was becoming the perfect example of a Nega-soldier. Full of hate and anger and revenge, with perhaps more sorrow than usual but that would only serve as fuel for the others.  
But then Metallia had asked a question of Beryl that had surprised the Queen. "What of Kunzite?" Such a question was unexpected, and sent the Queen down a spiral of internal scoldings. She had been so wrapped up in monitering every movement of Hematite, that one of her other strongest soldiers had been left almost completely alone! This did not bode well.   
Upon admitting her misgrievience to Metallia, the great force had cut off communication. Beryl was afraid that her Mistress was so displeased that she might stop giving her great knowledge and advice to the Queen altogether! She had to try what she could to make that sure that did not happen.   
Therefore, for approximately the last 48 hours, she had knelt before the great swirling mass, waiting for some whisper of acknowledgement. She didn't hope for much, just a sign that the great power was still with her.   
So trained was she that she did not feel any kind of pain nor discomfort. Any average person would have been in all kinds of suffering for staying in the same position for such a long time, without having gone into some kind of trance. But Beryl stayed at full alert, her mind open to her ruler.   
Finally, after those many hours, Metallia spoke. "He has not strayed, Beryl. Be grateful of your luck."  
Hiding her relief and yet her shock, Beryl bowed her head an inch lower and asked, "Oh great Metallia, would you inform to me what that lowly servant to you has been doing in the time that I let him slip from our grasp?"  
"From YOUR grasp, Beryl," Metallia snapped, making the Queen flinch. "He has been by the side of his beloved, Zoisite."   
This didn't make any sense. Knowing Kunzite, and that was something Beryl DID, he would have figured that the Ginzuishou could have the chance of healing Zoisite long ago, and yet he hadn't made an even an attempt to find it?   
Now that it was missing, there should have been at least some signs that Kunzite desired it. Yet he had never come to Beryl, asking for permission to take out a youma and attack the Senshi, nor had he NOT asked permission. She may not have been monitering him, but if he had tried to go out on his own she would have known almost immediately. The other youma would have been mumbling about it for hours.   
"Don't be stupid, Beryl. It's obvious why he would rather stay by Zoisite's side instead of wasting energy," Metallia scolded. Beryl almost flushed in embaressment, dismayed that the reasoning could *not* come to her.  
"Metallia, my wisdom is not nearly as wide as yours, my knowledge does not span the same lengths as your might does. Please, bestow upon me this answer which eludes my feeble mind." Beryl waited. She bowed a little lower, her nose just scraping the black floor. More time passed, and still no reply. Giving an inward sigh, Beryl prepared once more for the long wait.  
~*~*~  
Luna teleported to Hematite's room, and yawned outside the door before slowly pushing it open. Poking her head in, her mistress had fallen back asleep, and to her delight, seemed to be resting in peace. Letting out a slow breath of air, she tip-toed her way over to the bed, and carefully crawled into her spot. Curling up, she tucked her head into her arms and closed her eyes.   
'This will be perfect,' she thought happily. 'I'll have a little nap, and then when I wake up, I can tell Hema-chan about Mamoru! She'll probably go to him right away, and then be happy!' She gave a little sigh. 'No more bad dreams. Then we can just get the Ginzuishou and kill the Senshi with nothing more to worry about!'   
And so thinking these happy (AN: And I use the term lightly *ahem*) thoughts, Luna drifted off into a sleep unencumbered by the worries she had felt since the last.   
~*~*~  
Minako stomped up the stairs. She was sure that you could see steam coming out of her ears, she was so upset. She burst into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. "Alright Artemis we--"   
  
-blink-   
'Oooookay. There is....a guy....on my bed.'   
Suppressing a squeal, Minako backed into her dresser, heaving through clenched teeth.   
Her hand began to search through every item in the nearest vincinity, and it fell upon her vanity mirror. Picking it up by the thin metal handle, she clenched the weapon with white knuckles, a lump sliding down her throat.   
'Wai....wait a minute...why isn't he doing anything?' Stretching her neck out, Minako peered a little more closely at the man. 'NANI?!' "YOU'RE SLEEPING?!" she shouted suddenly. It was so loud in fact, that the guy jumped about two feet off of the bed with a shout of alarm and landed with a loud THUMP on the other side, all this mixed in with Minako's hearty scream.  
Getting into a attack pose, she stood with wide eyes, waiting for him to jump at her. But he didn't. She heard muffled grumbling, in fact what sounded like "this is getting ridiculous," underneath his breath.   
Swallowing again, Minako said in a loud voice, "COME OUT! I-I'VE CALLED THE POLICE!"   
"Nani?!" The man then did jump, but only up onto his feet. "Minako, NO!" He slammed large palms against his chest. "It's ME!"  
Lowering her mirror slightly, Minako gave him an odd look, her curiousity effectively piqued. "Nani? Who?"  
"Minako, it's me, Artemis."   
What.  
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The shrill scream almost brought Artemis to his knees, and he clutched the sides of his head. When it stopped and he looked back over he saw Minako---coming right for him.   
She leapt at him, landing on his chest and bringing the mirror up for a swift hit. "MINA!" Artemis shouted in a last ditch attempt to save his skull.   
"What did you do to Artemis?!" she screamed. When he stared at her blankly, she rose it higher.  
"I AM Artemis, Minako!"   
"He's a CAT you LIAR!!" This time she was going to strike him. He'd seen that look in her eyes before. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for it.   
But a glint of gold caught Minako's eye. Stopping right before she was going to hit him, she stared at the golden crescent moon that was winking in the light reflected from the mirror and the window. She took another look at him. The man was dressed in almost complete white, all except for another crescent moon that hung as a pendent on a necklace. Almost stranger still, his hair was white, and a long cascade of it that was now spread out beneath him.   
When the blow never arrived, Artemis cracked an eye open, then fully opened them both. Minako took in a breath of air. They were silver blue. Artemis' silver blue! "Artemis?" she whispered.  
He nodded ardently, a small smile creeping onto his lips. "W-what happened?" she asked quietly.   
"Well...I was sleeping on the bed, when...well basically," he sighed, "Luna paid a visit."   
"Luna?! What did she want? Why did she come?"   
Against the barrage of questions, all with a rather heavy looking mirror still imposing a threat, plus a touch of oxygen deprivation, Artemis said, "Mina---onegai...get off!"   
Giving him an odd look, she didn't move for a moment. When he took another gasp of air, making her lift a little up and down, she actually grinned. "Kay!" Quickly standing and moving off, he soon pushed himself up off the floor. 'Mo, he's tall when he's human,' she thought as he came to tower a full extra foot over her smaller frame. "I think we should go to a meeting," she said with a half-smile.   
Self-conciously rubbing the back on his head with a hand, his cheeks coloured a little. "Uh.....hai. I think so too."   
Suppressing a giggle, Minako moved around the bed and out towards the door. Opening it, after only a moments struggle with the lock that had jammed shut when she'd slammed it, she took one step out before realizing that Artemis was not behind her. "Hmm?" Looking back inside the room, Minako rose an eye-brow. Artemis hadn't moved more than a step, now staring rather blankly at the carpet.   
"Artemis? What's wrong?"   
His eyes blinked a few times, and he slowly rose his gaze to meet hers. Swallowing, he visibly lifted on a strained smile. Minako was startled at how shadowed his eyes had become. "Nothing," he replied. He moved to go past her and out the door, but she shut it with another slam and pushed him back with the other hand.  
"Alright, mister. I don't appreciate being lied to." He stared at her, watching as she placed a hand on her hip and pointed an accussing finger. Like a wave, the anger that had sent her on the search for him in the first place rose up again, and this time there wasn't anything there to stop her from letting out her frustrations. (AN: Hee hee hee....) Yet.   
"I am so TIRED of watching while you mope, Artemis! First it was Luna who sulked, and that was alright at first. I like to think myself and gracious person, but after a few WEEKS it gets just a *little* grating on the nerves! Especially when it's one of my best," she gave him a bit of a push on the chest, "freakin'" another, and he plopped down onto the bed, still staring at her, "FRIENDS!!"  
Heavy breaths escaped from Minako's lungs, and as if a fog was lifted off her brain, she felt even a little appalled at her own actions. Pride made her bite her lip, keeping the apologies from spilling out, but soon pride had to take a second position to shame.  
Artemis wasn't looking at her anymore. Now he was staring at his open palms. Minako flushed slightly when she thought of how cruel her words must have sounded, even though she had *meant* for them to be in all good intentions.   
She thought of every kind of apology. The stutter. The wail. Even the beg. But....she was just...so...tired. With a sigh, Minako slumped, then flopped down onto the floor in a cross-legged position. Staring up into Artemis' face, she was dismayed to find that his eyes were hidden behind the curtain of pale bangs.  
Instead she looked to his hands. Slowly, she placed one her small hands in his large one, then covered them both with her other. "Art--" she cleared her throat, her voice sounding scratchy after the yelling, "Artemis, I--" 'I'm sorry?' "I just don't want to lose you."   
When something small and cold fell onto her fingers, Minako's eyes widened. "Gomen."   
"Nan...nani?" she asked, completely taken aback.  
After a few moments of silence, he placed his other hand over their little tower, and met her eyes. His shone with a brightness that could only mean tears danced behind them. "Gomen, Minako. I haven't been a very good mentor lately," he smiled weakly, "ne?" She couldn't think to say anything, so just kept on staring. He took in a deep breath, then chuckled lightly. "To tell you the truth, I've known that for a little while now. I guess that I just...." he trailed off. Minako watched the trail of tears fall down his cheeks with her eyes, progressing their way until they too went into free-fall, then landed, this time on his hand.  
"A-Artemis...."  
He pat her hand in an almost fatherly way, then stood up. He started to go for the door, but in a fast move whose speed was probably attributed to years of training, Minako caught onto Artemis' wrist and tugged him towards her, all while getting quickly to her feet. Her arms wrapped protectively around his torso, effectively embracing him in a hug. Burrowing her head in his shirt, she fought back her own tears and said, "Artemis, I don't want my mentor back. I want my best friend back."   
Slowly, ever so slowly, she felt this rather large person that she clung to so dearly, relax and slump into her arms. His arms came around to return the hug, and his head lowered into her hair. When she felt him suddenly jerk in a sob, Minako only hugged him closer.   
She now felt like the mentor. The person upon which to offer a shoulder to cry on. And apparently, Artemis wasn't about to dissagree.   
~*~*~  
Luna yawned. Stretching her mouth wide open, giving her toungue of bit of air and then chewing on it, she looked around in her surroundings. With a start of excitement, she remembered the news she had to give to Hematite. "Hema-chan!" Scrambling off the sheets, she looked for her mistress, who was not there. "Hema-chan?"   
She made a quick sweep of the Dark Kingdom, but couldn't find her anywhere. Luna decided to venture out of the Kingdom, and into the other world. Preparing for the bright blast of light that usually accompanied with that DAMNED sun. However, Luna was grateful to fight that Tokyo was in twilight, meaning that it was more like the throne room in light comparison.  
Where had she arrived? There were so many exits from the Kingdom, that it was sometimes rather difficult to figure out where you were at first glance. But Luna was able to this time, and rather quickly. 'The Starlight Tower? Huh, that's a coincidence.'   
Though, when she thought about it, maybe not so much. After that first incident there, such a huge portal had been opened close by to it that it would definetly increase the chance of landing there.   
This wasn't what Luna had come for, however. She turned towards the city, and cast out a rather large 'searching net' over it. If Hematite was anywhere within it's range, she would find her.   
And yes! There she was! Docile, a fair distance away from the Starlight Tower. Luna took a detailed look as to where she was, and was actually surprised. "There?" Doing a quick teleport, she landed beside Hematite and sat down on the roof. 'Why would she be at the Tsukino residence?'   
"Hema-chan? Why are you here?"   
"I don't know. I just felt like coming here for some reason."  
Luna didn't know what to say to that, so instead she asked a different question. "Daijobu?"  
The silence that pursued was not something that Luna was very comfortable with. Hematite just stared out past her knees, which were pulled up protectively up to her nose. Her blond hair played with the wind, well the bangs that weren't stuck beneath the black ribbon did.  
"I can't see his face."   
The murmur startled the cat, pulling her out of her reverie. "Nani?"   
Hematite rose her head off her arms and turned to look at Luna in the eyes. Her blue ones were angry, and hinted with sorrow. Not a sight that Luna wasn't used to. But this time...they also looked questioning. "In my dream. I realized that I never see his face."  
"Your love's?"  
Did Hematite....wince? "Hai. He...I can feel him, and I can hear him, but I never see his face."   
"Even when you're facing him?" Luna asked, slightly perplexed.  
"Un! That's just it! He...he's stabbed, then he's burned, and when he's burned he's facing me....but I just realized that I never see his face. It's all a dark blur." She sighed and limply set her head down on her knees again. "I'm just so sick of all the hurting, Luna." A tear traced it out from the corner of her eye and dissapeared in a lock of hair.   
"I know," Luna said softly. Perhaps Hematite wasn't ready for him. But...it couldn't hurt to try, could it? "Hema-chan? Do you remember that guy from the hospital? The one that all of the Senshi are trying to protect?" Her interest caught, Hematite rose her head again and gave Luna a questioning look. Feeling more confident, Luna smiled brightly and turned to face her friend. "Well, how would you like to go visit him?"   
Luna could swear that she saw a small spark of light return to Hematite's eyes at those words, and she did sit up straighter. "You know where he is?"   
With a sly grin, Luna said, "Yup, well, I did a little asking around."   
Hematite gave her a coy look. "I bet you did. So? Can we go?"   
Delighted at the positive reaction her news had brought, Luna stood up quickly and grabbed Hematite's hand. Quickly they both teleported over to the address that Artemis had 'given' Luna, leaving only the echo of a giggle behind.  
  
"So...this is it?"   
"Well, this is his apartment. If my sources were correct. I'll show you where it is."  
"NO! I mean---I'd rather you just tell me. I would like to go alone."   
Luna blinked back her startlement at Hematite's snap, but pushed back the hurt and nodded. "A-alright. It's that building," she pointed to a rather tall one that appeared to be residence to a number of rooms, "on level 11, room 1008."   
Hematite watched the building for a moment, seeking it out in the dark-ness that had now fallen. She turned and gave Luna a hug, saying, "Arigato, Luna," before dissapearing from her friend's arms.   
Wrapping her arms around her own self, Luna looked over longingly at the building, rather sadly. "I just hope this makes you happy, Hema-chan."   
~*~*~  
'06...07....1008!' Walking through the door, Hematite looked around in the apartment. It was dark, but she was still able to tell that it was *very* clean and neat. There was a small hallway in front of her that appeared to lead to a living room. Branching off to the left was another small corridor that led to two closed doors, and to the right was a small kitchen.   
Everything was so in order. There wasn't a single magazine out of place. Even the shoes at the door were pressed up neatly against the wall. A quirky smile tugged at Hematite's lips. 'This is nuts!' she thought rather amusedly. But she really didn't mind. In fact, the idea that this guy was handsome *and* a neat-nik rather hit her as being cute.   
'So, since all the lights are out, I'm guessing he's not in the kitchen. And he's not sleeping on the couch, so he must be in the,' she grinned wickedly, 'BEDROOM!'   
Making her way down the corridor, she opened one door and.... 'that's the bathroom. Which leaves door number 2!' Instead of opening this one though, she pulled the same trick that she had on the way into the apartment and simply walked through the door.   
A large window was set into the back wall, over-looking the city-scape. The moon-light shone in through it, illuminating a bed where a sleeping figure lay. Smiling, Hematite floated over to the bed and knelt down beside it.  
'It's him,' she thought, feeling slightly relieved. It had been a small doubt, but a little worry had arisen when Luna had told she'd found him. Although it wouldn't have been a *huge* problem (Hey, a cute guy is a cute guy), she wanted THIS one. Something drew her to him. She didn't care what, all she knew was that it was best to succumb to it.  
She had thought that once she arrived, she would play with him for a little while, have some fun. But....as she watched him sleep, that idea actually made her feel a little repulsed.  
That black hair, the same ebony shade she had seen the last two times, was now ruffled and falling into his eyes in such a way that she bit her lip. He was sleeping on his side, his face turned towards hers. If he opened his eyes now, she would be staring right into them. 'Ne...I wonder what his eyes look like?' she thought.  
Why not wake him? Well....she didn't want to. She rather liked being able to just sit with him. The thought of him being afraid of her...it didn't appeal.  
She brushed a few locks of the hair off his fore-head, remarking at how soft it was. "I've been looking for you," she whispered. Following a high cheek-bone with a finger, her eyes etched every detail of his face into her memory. She smiled. "You're very handsome."  
Blushing slightly, she murmured, "but I bet you already knew that." He stirred slighty, and she snapped her hand away in panic. But when all he did was move his arm off the mattress, she settled back down.  
It was nice. Being able to do something that was all to herself. Only Luna knew about him. Hematite often felt like she didn't get to be her own person when she was in her room, or even with Beryl-momma anymore. 'Besides,' she thought rather bitterly, 'it's not as if she talks to me anymore.' All the times since the dreams had first started, Beryl had just pushed Hematite away. And now she had dissapeared into Metallia's company for the past little while.   
Not even Luna was something Hematite could call her own. As soon as she had brought the cat home, Beryl had asked her who she was, and only after making an assessment of what she could do had she 'permitted' Luna to stay.   
"But you...." Hematite said softly, taking hold of his one free hand in both of hers and lifting it to her cheek. "You're mine."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dun dun DUN!!!!   
Well! I don't think I used anything startling and new JP words this time around, so I won't explain any of them. 'Member, if you don't remember what some of them mean, just check the other chapters!   
Suki da yo!   
Ja ne,   
Wyvern  



	9. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 9

When My Love & I Parted ~ Part 9  
By Wyvern (Thaaaaaaaaaaat's me!)  
Rated PG  
  
Hey minna! Gomen nasai about skipping a week, I feel like a heel.  
^_^; But I'm back with another part! I think I'm seeing at MOST 3  
more in the future. (Ne...does this sound....familier?) I'd be   
surprised if there were more, so no worries! This is almost over.   
*^-^*   
Thanks go out to Stormy (Whom I loves to torture), Usa-chan (Whom  
I love to hear from *hint hint wink wink NUDGE NUDGE*) and to I Abide  
at RedHawke Fanfiction Reviews for keeping up his reviews of this   
story! I'm....guess what everybody! NOT BAD!! Believe me, I'm   
happy about this. ^_^  
***********Sailor Moon and all related peoples blah blah  
belong to Naoko Tekuchi, Kondasha and Toei Industries. *sigh* Life's  
just not fair, is it my fellow Mamo worshippers? No, it is not.*******  
  
Just wanted to finally mention this, in case I've been confoosing  
anybody. When you see words with 'these' quotation marks, it shows   
thought. And any kind of paragraph or whatever that has this little   
squiggly ~ at the beginning and at the end will mean that the character  
is having a flash-back, or the past is being re-told. Kay? Hope that  
helps!   
  
Annnnnnnnnnnnd on with the story!   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She stayed like that. Stealing minutes from the time guardian   
and filling them with whispers, caresses, tears. Never did she truly  
let herself go to the tears. Once or twice they managed to escape,  
breaking from her lashes of soot and running down her cheeks to freedom,  
left unchecked by the hostess.   
As the night progressed, so did the intensity of the secrets she  
spoke to him. The way it felt to be little, the way she loved being  
with Beryl before the dreams had started. Someone actually close to her  
in all of the Darkness that surrounded her. And...how even though Luna  
should have been the perfect replacement once Beryl-momma had begun to  
dissmiss her attentions, something had changed. But it had changed...  
inside Hematite. And it scared her. So much.   
A silence had settled over the room in the past hour, Hematite no   
longer able to put two coherent thoughts together. She was too tired.  
'Should leave. Don't want to. Luna will be wondering where I am.   
Don't want to leave. Leave when sun comes up.' Coming to that mid-way  
point, Hematite stayed to just sit. 'Feels good. Feels warm.'   
In fact only minutes passed until the night's boundary arrived,  
and a beam of light slapped itself into Hematite's eyes. She hissed  
slightly, closing them from the pain of such brightness after hours...  
...weeks, of dark.   
She yawned, moving one hand from where she still clasped his   
to smother it. When he stirred though, she snapped to attention.   
'NO! He can't see me!' she thought in alarm, and reflexively activated  
her teleport. Within moments, the smoke dissipated, fuffiling it's   
duty of carrying away its mistress.  
Not truly waking, Mamoru brought his hand up over the side of   
the bed, the first movement he'd made in many hours, and burrowed his  
head a little deeper into the pillow. Taking a deep breath, a word  
floated out over the exhale. "Usa...."  
  
~*~*~   
  
EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE E-*whomp*   
"I HATE your alarm."   
Minako groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Quiet you." Yawning,  
she sat up in bed, slowly assessing her surroundings. Big comfy  
bed. Cold floor. Large Artemis sprawled out on floor. Sun being  
infernally annoying and shining straight into her eyes. "Myeeeeh..."  
she growled, shielding her eyes with a hand.   
She looked over at where he was laying, the product of some  
last minute planning for space. Last night, neither of them were  
in the mood to go searching for a mattress or sleeping bag, both   
too exhausted.   
Actually, the memories of the previous night woke Minako up  
a bit more. It had been so strange. Nice, but strange.   
Artemis totally broke down, turning to her for a kind of   
comfort that she had never had to supply before. She wasn't sure  
just how long she had held him, murmuring soft words while he  
sobbed into her shoulder.   
She almost smiled at the thought of how wierd it must have  
looked. This BIG guy, white being a definite theme, crying almost  
in a child-like way, being consoled by a girl whose head only rose  
up to his neck.   
Her mouth felt thick from sleep, a feeling that she for some  
reason liked. Just waking up was a feeling that she described  
as 'snuffy.' A word that had stuck from child-hood. Like, 'my  
stummy hurts,' or 'speggy and meanballs.' When Minako felt like  
cuddling, she would tug on her mom's arm and say, "Momma I feel  
snuffy." Instant gratification, every time.  
"Feeling better?" she asked, taking a hand to her hair.  
It was a rat's nest, as her dad liked to say, sticking out from  
all sides and tangled in more ways than one might think possible.  
Artemis murmured something in reply. Looking back at him,  
he'd turned over onto his stomach, his head engulfed by the pillow.  
She chuckled. "You're gonna suffocate, baka."   
Lifting himself up on his elbows, he rotated around until he  
sat cross-legged, looking up at her. He yawned, his toungue curling  
out then darting back inside to be chewed on slightly. 'Still a bit  
cat, I guess,' Minako mused. "Hai, better," he said hoarsly.  
He was out-fitted in a white tank top, one of Minako's fathers,  
and a pair of her dad's boxers over his own under-garments. Hey,  
Minako hadn't bothered to ask what went underneath white pants, and  
so the mystery remained. (AN:C'mon ladies, boxers or briefs? What's  
your call?) Even being tired, she'd managed to sneak into her dad's  
wardrobe to steal a couple articles of clothing.   
Rather miraculously, her parents didn't get home until AFTER  
Artemis was settled.   
  
~"Minako? Minako we're home!"  
"EEEP!!" Her eyes made a quick sweep around the room, more  
out of habit then anything. Artemis was dead asleep amongst some  
spare blankets drawn out from the linen closet, finally having  
cried himself out of energy.   
Smoothing down her uniform and her hair, she straightened  
her hair bow and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.   
Standing at the top of the stairs, she met her parents with a bright  
smile. "Oi! How was the movie?"   
Her dad shrugged, hanging his coat up in the closet and taking  
her mom's. "Not bad. It could have been better, but I wouldn't say  
it stunk."  
Minako's mother snorted and rolled her eyes. "*I* would."   
"Doushite?" he asked, apparently a little surprised.   
Waving a hand, she shook her head. "It was just dumb. Who  
wants to see some woman prancing around with barely anything on?"  
"I thought you would have liked it! Y'know, a chick flick!"   
"Oh, you mean the misty-eyed looks she gave to 'Conan'? Give  
me a break, dear."   
Shrugging his shoulders again, Minako's father headed for the  
stairs. Panicking, she sprawled herself over the banister, barring  
the way with a leg. "W-where ya goin' dad?"   
He gave her an odd look and pushed her leg out of the way.   
"Upstairs, Mina."  
"To bed?" she asked, almost hopefully.   
"Nnnnnnnooooo....to the bathroom." He cocked his eye brow.   
"All right with you?"  
She blushed slightly. 'Baka Minako, he won't find anything!'  
"U-un."   
"Something wrong, Minako?" Her mother stood at the door  
to the kitchen, holding a covered bowl in her hands. "You never ate."   
"Nothing's wrong momma, I just....wanted to get my homework  
done early, and then I forgot to eat."  
"Forgot to eat? You? And homework on a friday?" Setting the  
dish on the counter, she walked up the steps and put a hand to her   
daughter's fore-head. "Are you feeling well?"   
Batting her mother's hand away, Minako 'tsked' and said,  
"Yeeeees, I'm feeling fine, MOTHER," her voice thick with teasing.  
Putting one hand on her hip and sticking a finger in her face,  
Minako's mother said, "You watch it there young lady." Stern words,  
but said with a smile.   
Laughing lightly, Minako nodded. "Gomen." She yawned, putting  
on a lazy face and grinned. "I'm tired momma. I'm going to bed."  
"Fine." Minako turned and was almost to her room, almost safe,  
when she heard her mother beckon again. Stopping, she turned around  
with a grumble, but popped her head down the stairs with a bright smile.  
"Hai, momma?" she said through her teeth.  
"Why are you still wearing your school uniform?"   
'Uh oh. Think fast, Minako!' "I---just..didn't feel like   
changing!"   
"You hate that uniform," her mother said, arms crossed.   
Feigning shock, Minako scoffed a couple of times and tried her  
best to looks hurt. "I do not! It's very...." 'Itchy' "comfortable  
and I..." 'Hate' "enjoy wearing it!" At her mother's continuing   
skepticle expression, she even went so far, as to rub one of the sleeves  
against her cheek. "Mmm mmm...soft!" 'I hate this uniform, I just   
forgot to take it off.'   
Sighing, her mother shook her head and walked back into the  
kitchen. "Fine, fine. Goodnight!"   
Sighing herself, but instead in relief, Minako finally made it  
into her room. Rubbing her cheek with her fingers, the skin she touched  
a little scratched and sore from the sleeve, she pouted and looked down  
at the still snoozing Artemis. 'You better be worth it.' They were  
just words of a tired person. She knew he was. 'Heck, he's worth more  
than......' her tired mind tried to come up with an analogy, 'more than  
I'm willing to think of right now.'   
Shedding the itchy uniform and slipping into her comfy pajamas,  
Minako all but fell into bed. She collected and wrapped all of her   
sheets and the large comforter around her, and dropped off into sleep.~  
  
And that was last night. 'Ahhhhhh last night. When I had a whole  
night's worth of sleep ahead of me.'   
"Ne, why *did* you set the alarm, Minako? It's a Saturday,"   
Artemis asked lazily.   
Stopping, Minako suddenly groaned and dug her head into her  
pillow. "I forgot to turn it off last night!" she mumbled. "Kuso!"  
Beep beep beep beep beep beep - "That alarm is going out the   
WINDOW!!" she screeched, picking up her clock, almost ready to throw  
it.   
"Minako," Artemis sighed. "That's the communicator."   
Groaning instead of blushing, Minako let the alarm drop from her  
fingers, landing in a heap of covers. The beeping seemed to be coming  
from beneath her, so laying down her stomach, she searched the underside  
of her bed. Her hair fell down in a huge blanket, part of it falling   
over onto Artemis' face. He blew at it, poofing it away from his nose.  
"Here we go!" she said, almost cheerily, finally pulling up from  
her position and smoothing her hair back. She clicked it on. "Ohayo!"  
"MINAKO!!!!" Rei screeched.   
"WHAT?!" she snapped back.  
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! YOU ARE SO--"   
"Eh...Minako-chan..." Ami said, taking over the screen. Just as   
well too, since Minako was about ready to throw her communicator to the  
ground and stomp it into oblivion. She was *not* in the mood for a   
Rei screeching. "We were just wondering where you've been."  
"Hai!" Makoto said, a little sterner than Ami, but with a bit of  
a smile. "Rei's really just as worried as we were. You didn't show up  
to the meeting last night!"   
"Shimatta!!" Minako cursed, slapping her fore-head. "Gomen   
minna! Something kinda....came up."   
"Like WHAT?!"   
"Something IMPORTANT Rei," Minako snarled. "Look, how about we  
meet at Crown's in an hour, and I'll laminate."  
"What?" Makoto asked.   
"I think you mean.....well....either elaborate or illuminate,  
Minako-chan. Even that one was a little sketchy," Ami said.   
"Whatever, whatever. Kay? Crown's in an hour!" And before any  
of them could protest, she cancelled her connection and threw the   
communicator onto her bed-side table. Slapping her hands together,   
making Artemis jump, she stood up and said in a bright voice, "Artemis!  
Time to get up!"   
Taking another pillow, he smashed it onto his face and groaned.  
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo........"  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I'd say......mmmm.....an eight."  
"Yup, eight."  
"Six."  
"Ami-chan! That's pretty harsh!"   
"Well....he's really just....not my style."   
Makoto rose an eye-brow. "Oh? Then, pray tell, just what *is*  
the mysterious Ami Mizuno's 'style'?"   
Blushing a deep red, Ami rose her eyes and searched out the   
window. Biting her lip, she finally pointed to a young man waiting  
at the bus stop.   
"WAI! Good eye Ami-chan!" Rei burst, standing up and shoving  
down Makoto's head for a better look. "VERY kawaii!"  
"Ita! Off! OFF!" With a mighty push from Makoto, Rei fell back  
into the booth. "Hey, not a bad choice Ami-chan! Myself, I'd say he's  
more of an...........eep."   
"What?" Rei perked up. "What what what? Who do you see?" She  
peered frantically out the window, trying to spot whoever it was that  
had so caught Makoto's attention. Her eyes searched around. 'Old Lady,  
pole, car, little boy, ne! Where is---aaaaaaaahh.....' her eyes locked  
on at least who *she* figured was the heart-stopper.   
Beside her, Ami took in a small breath of air. And rightly so!  
A young guy, maybe just a bit older than them, stood waiting for the   
light to change at the crossing. Long, long white hair was pulled   
back into a pony-tail beneath a base-ball cap. A rumpled white tank-top  
and khaki shorts were his outfit, topped off with a pair of sandals  
that upon closer pressing of the nose to the window on Rei's part, were  
a couple sizes too big.  
"Oy chi-wawa!" Makoto yelped.   
Rei rolled her eyes. "You should stop watching so much American  
T.V., Mako-chan."  
"Oy chi-wawa...."  
"Not you TOO!" Rei yelped at Ami, who turned an even deeper shade.  
*tug* "Urk.....nnng....R....Rei...." *tug*  
"WHAT?!" She suddenly found her face yanked around between   
Makoto's two hands, face squished between them. "Me...Mayko-che--"  
Another person was suddenly there with their boy.   
"Mi-Minako-chan?!" Ami yelped.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Minako stood up and smiled at Artemis. "Arigato for waiting while  
I tied my shoe!"   
"No problem. Ne, isn't that it?" he asked, pointing towards the   
building.  
"Hai!"  
He sighed loudly, running a hand down his pony-tail. "Eeesh,   
looks different."  
She blinked. "How so?"   
"Bigger, for one thing." Minako laughed and shook her head.   
Every so often Artemis would do something that made her remember the   
new disposition he was in. Like, she'd had to throw something for him  
together using her dad's clothes. She just thanked her lucky stars that  
the tank-top was still wear-able, and her dad hadn't yet thrown out   
that pair of khaki shorts he'd bought when he'd been slimmer last   
summer. She didn't want to draw undue attention to him, so she put his  
huge mass of hair into a pony-tail and slipped a cap over his head to   
hide the moon-mark.  
A trio walked by them, three young women. All three heads turned   
after they had passed, their sight lingering on Minako's partner.   
Growling, she turned around and shouted, "Take a PICTURE, it LASTS  
LONGER!"   
-FLASH!-   
  
She dead-panned. "You weren't supposed to take that  
literally."  
Artemis blushed and ran a hand down his pony-tail again. She  
had noticed it was something of a nervous habit he'd developed. That  
time he'd barely missed running into a pole in the street, he'd fingered  
his hair for five minutes after-ward. Perhaps a substitute for a   
twitching tail.   
The light finally turned, and they started to cross the street  
to Crown's. Minako's eyes flickered over to one of the large windows  
that the restaurant/arcade sported, and barely held in a guffaw.   
Three girls were plastered to the glass, eyes wide, Rei and Makoto's  
mouths mostly open.  
Rei caught her eyes, and gave her one of the deadliest looks that  
Minako had ever shared with...well...anyone up until now. Pretending   
not to see it, Minako shifted so that she walked just a *smigen* closer  
to Artemis, he of course taking no notice.   
Minako giggled inside. "I can't WAIT to tell the girls about   
THIS!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Oooooh…she's gonna either fess up, or DIE," Rei muttered under   
her breath. The girls watched as Minako and the hunk came into the   
arcade and headed for their table.   
"Quick, REI! Go sit next to Ami-chan!" Makoto whispered, giving  
an encouraging shove. Obviously, Rei wasn't paying attention, as she  
just nodded absently and took her new spot just as they arrived.  
"Hi minna!" Minako said brightly. "Sorry we're late, we kept on  
getting…em…" she cast a side-glance to her companion, "stopped."   
Makoto waved a hand. "No really, Minako-chan, iie desu! None of  
us mind in the slightest!" She stood and squished over to the other  
side of the booth, patting the seat next to her. "Please," pat, pat,   
"Take a seat." Minako lowered slightly but Makoto pushed her out of the  
away and hissed, "Not YOU," and pat the seat again, smiling up at the   
boy.   
For a moment he seemed startled, but then a playful smirk curved  
his lips and he plopped down in the booth, grinning at the girls. Ami  
looked like she was about to burn to a crisp.   
Grumbling a bit, Minako managed to find a space on the other side,  
noticing that Rei was about to explode with fury. She glared daggers,  
grenades, tanks and everything else that could possibly do mortal harm  
to the girl who sat across from her, blissfully occupied with her   
view.   
"So? Minako-chan? Who is your…guest?" Ami asked.   
"Yeah?!" Rei piped in, throwing him a flashy smile.   
Giggling a bit, Minako slapped her hands on the table and said  
with wide eyes, "You aren't going to believe me when I tell you, but  
this is-"  
"Oi girls!!" All four of them deflated when Motoki's sudden  
shout interrupted Minako's secret. Still…this was Motoki. Nobody  
could stay mad at him for too long. He walked over, threw a dish-cloth  
over his shoulder and rubbed his hands together. "It's great to see  
you guys again! Ne, where's Usagi?"   
Out of the corner of her eye, Ami could swear she saw the boy  
flinch beneath his hat. "Um…she's at home," Rei subbed.   
"Really? Huh," he shrugged, "I'm surprised." He apparently  
took notice of the new-comer and made an indicative gesture for the  
girls. "Who's the newbie in the group?" he asked, a twinge of teasing  
peppering his tone.   
Makoto, Ami and Rei simutaneously turned their attentions to the  
stud, finally expecting to find out. He lifted his head and grinned,  
making Ami blush slightly. "I'm just a friend," he replied.  
'Matte…' Rei thought to herself, 'why does his voice sound rather  
familier?'  
Motoki just shrugged. "Alright! So, what can I get you guys?"  
"Lime soda!" Minako piped in.  
"Coke."  
"Root beer."  
"Water."  
"Milk." Makoto shot the boy an odd look, but he didn't seem to  
notice. Nodding his head, Motoki left to get the orders.   
Minako took a deep breath and turned back to the girls. "So, as  
I was saying, this is…well…" she stopped for a moment, as if thinking.  
"WHAT Minako-chan? WHO?!" Rei shrieked, acting as if the boy   
wasn't there at all.   
"Ne, I'm just thinking of how to tell you, since I don't want you  
throwing a fit!" she said, staring at Rei.   
"ONEGAI, Minako-chan," Makoto pleaded, "Just TELL us!"   
"Em…minna, why don't we let *him* introduce himself?" Ami   
commented.   
The other three girls blushed and mumbled their accordances. The  
boy smiled at Ami and nodded his head, almost as if he approved of all  
of their behaviour, or was used to it. Motoki dropped by then and laid  
the drinks on the table.   
"I'm almost insulted you girls don't recognize me," the boy said.  
The words of course coming as a surprise, the other three were suddenly  
regarding him with a new kind of aprehension.   
"Nani?" Rei asked, suspicious. Makoto slurped on her root beer,  
eyeing him. Well, eyeing AND admiring. She would say it was the same  
thing.  
"Maybe this will help," he said, and the flicked up the front of  
his hat with two fingers. Makoto choked on her drink in an attempt to  
gasp along with Rei and Ami. There on his fore-head flashed the golden  
insignia of the moon. "Meow."   
Minako was almost crying with laughter, practically falling out of  
the booth.   
"Buh?"  
"Nah…"  
"Dem…"  
"Oh…oh VERY articulate girls!" Minako said in-between giggles.   
She high-fived him. "You're so wicked Artemis! Perfect delivery!" And  
She fell into another fit of snickers.   
Almost surprisingly, Makoto was the first to regain her composure.  
She took another long drag from her drink, bringing it down to the ice,  
and sat back in her chair with her hands behind her head. "So, Arty,"  
he cocked an eye-brow, "enjoying the ride?"   
  
~*~*~  
  
Luna lay staring at the ceiling, her braids spread out to cushion  
Her head beneath her. As she waited for her mistress to awaken,   
thoughts that were of really no sequential importance strolled through   
her head. Sometimes they danced little pirouettes before they were   
thrown off-stage by another. One that had been twirling around in her   
brain for the longest time now, was the recount of that morning's events.  
  
~"Hema-chan!" she called happily, running over to her friend from  
the bed. "Did you enjoy it? He's cute, isn't he." At her friend's   
small smile, Luna nudged her a little bit. "I KNEW you'd have a good   
time with that one. Did you leave him alive for later?" she asked.   
"Hai, I did," Hematite replied matter-of-factly, and shifted into  
a pair of black pajamas. Even this act made Luna's dark heart jump a   
little with glee. Her mistress used to LOVE wearing little nighties  
or teddies to bed, but recently had ceased doing that, as it had been  
almost part of her happier-self. This was then a sign that that same  
old flame of mischief was being re-kindled, and Luna couldn't take   
enough joy from that.  
But, it wasn't EXACTLY as it used to be. If it were, Hematite  
would have pulled her over to the bed and spent the entire morning  
letting Luna in on every detail. Instead, she breezed past her pet  
and flopped into bed. "He-"  
"I don't feel like talking about it right now Luna, I'm sleepy."  
Turning over, she pulled the large black comfortor over her tiny frame  
and said in a muffled voice, "Good-night." ~  
She had bitten back her dissapointment and anger until a good  
Youma was found. That had had the snot kicked out of it, successfully  
aiding the frustrated cat in venting her emotions. She was completely  
devoted to the her mistress, but sometimes…sometimes she could be just  
so IRRITATING!!  
  
~*~*~  
  
Minako twirled her straw around in her fountain glass, using  
The now mixture of a Lime Soda and water from melted ice as a source  
Of entertainment. 'Lookit dat...a whirl-pool...'   
The meeting had come to a lull. Okay, a pit. There were lulls,  
and there were PITS in the conversation. This was one dilly of a pit.  
after the girls had squeezed as much of what had happened with their  
former feline compatriot from Minako and Artemis, and gossipped for  
about another hour and a-half. Then…well nobody brought up anything  
more to discuss. They ALL knew what had to be adressed, but all were  
too relunctant to stratch at the wounds.  
Taking a deep breath, Minako decided that she would have to be  
The one. "So, we now know that LUNA knows where Mamoru is staying.   
And she, of course, will have told Hematite. That means then that we  
are going to have to be EXTRA careful Senshi."  
At first, Artemis hadn't been able to remember what it was that  
Luna had come for him for. Thanks to a thing much like shock, he'd  
forgotten all about it until it was brought up again. Almost in a  
panic, the girls had called Mamoru on the communicator, each relieved   
when he picked up, appearing RESTED even.   
Apparently he'd had no visits, there was nothing to report, and  
therefore nothing to worry about. The Senshi still had the communicator  
at his apartement, so none of them were over-anxious about the little  
leak in information.   
Mamoru had been also COMPLETELY adament in staying  
at his own home, refusing the offers that each one of them made for  
a new place of residence. So basically, they weren't over-anxious,  
because they couldn't be.   
Makoto suddenly snapped her fingers. "I know! We should  
stake-out his apartement! We can take shifts, watching him at night-  
time, and making sure that nothing—"  
"I heard that and NO!!"   
Rei rolled her eyes. "Why are you STILL listening in on the  
conversation, Mamoru-san?"  
"Un! That's taking advantage of the 24 hour line!" Minako  
added with earnest.   
Mamoru pulled a dark bang out his eyes and said, "Minna,  
when the line is open all the time, that means that if YOU can   
hear ME, I can hear YOU. I'm sitting in the living room, and  
everything you say comes over loud and clear."   
Artemis chuckled, shaking his head. Minako shot him a   
look. "You be quiet."   
"And what I said, GOES," Mamoru continued. "If I catch  
any one of you creeping around my apartement, you'll be picking  
thorns out of fukus for a week."   
Minako scrunched up her nose. "Eeeew Mamoru-san! That's  
just being vulgar."  
He coughed. "Well…you get what I mean."   
"Yeah yeah, but I still don't like you being alone all the  
time then," Makoto grumbled.   
"Minna, he is getting better, and he IS…" Ami gestured,   
"Y'know...able to take care of himself."   
"I agree with Ami," Artemis added, leaning on his elbows.  
"Mamoru-kun IS in a heightened amount of danger, I won't deny  
that, but he is also a proven fighter, and could handle any  
situation until we were able to arrive at least."  
"You see, you shouldn't worry about it any more. When it  
happens, no, IF it happens, all of the Senshi will know about it."  
"Even though you COULD handle it yourself, ne Mamoru-san?"   
Rei asked teasingly.   
He gave her a dark look. "Of course, flame-thrower."   
"Then what more can we do, other than wait?" Minako asked.   
Again, Makoto leaned back. "Nothing love-child. We relax."  
She snapped her fingers. "Motoki my man? Bring me another beer."  
At Artemis' sharp look, she added, "ROOT beer. Yeeesh."  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
WANNA say 'dun dun DUN!' but can't. Don't work. *Sigh*   
Well.....*twiddles fingers* This chapter came out kinda funky.   
I mean, I really like some of it, and some of it.....I don't...know.  
It's crazy. Do you think I used the word "look" too many times?  
I kinda wondered if I did. *sigh again* Still new at this minna.  
  
Didn't use nothin' new in ways of JP words, so again, if you're   
confoosed, go back to some of the earlier chapters where I wasn't  
so darn lazy and wrote out all the long big lists! *^-^*   
Oh no...wait...there are a couple I'll mention. *sigh*  
  
Iie desu = It's ok/ It's alright/No problem  
Oi = Hey (i.e. Oi Mamoru! - Hey Mamoru!)  
  
And 'member! Feed-back! LOTS 'O' FEED-BACK!!!  
  
Arigato gozaimasu!  
Suki da yo!   
Ja ne,   
Wyvern   



	10. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 10

When My Love & I Parted - Part 10 When My Love & I Parted – Part 10  
By Wyvern  
Rated PG  
  
Kon'wa minna-chaaaaaaaan!! So, I'm feeling extra special happy today because guess what! I GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER OUT!!! *does a happy jig*   
I'd like to send out thanks to Usa-chan for her constant support, Sailor Bethany for her ENGAGING conversations (;p) and to I Abide for his great reviews!  
Okay...I believe that's it for today! *^-^* What. What? Oh...right...*laughs nervously* The disclaimer. Ah ha.  
  
**********All of these characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei and Kondansha Industries. NOT me. *sigh* Fruggers.*************  
  
That's it now...right? *gets a nod from the characters* Then on with the show!!!! Eh...story.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The sun began to set on the busy city, casting a warm glow over the rather ominous structures that crowded the horizon. A wind off of the ocean rose up and lifted some his dark bangs, playing with them for a few extra moments before moving on.  
He lifted his face to the soft caress, smiling towards the sea. Moments like this, where he was free to savour the quiet around him, were ones that he had sorely missed while at the hospital.   
Perhaps it was his rather harried past, but an attribute that Mamoru had picked up somewhere along the way made his taste for a calm moment all the more powerful. Resting his elbows on the railing of his balcony, he pondered on that. 'I'm a fairly out-going person. I like people, I've been told I get along well with them. I wonder why it is that I love being by myself sometimes?'   
Actually, not very often at all. Some days the silence of his apartment after a long day didn't appeal at all...but lately it offered the perfect environment for his thoughts to pool. And his emotions to sort themselves out.   
An-almost fatal injury was something that could leave the spirit a little shaky, and Mamoru had had the sleep-less nights to prove it. He raked a hand through his bangs, letting his head find a bed on the new support of his palm. The silence was nice, but the sentiment was starting to grow rather thin.   
The need was starting to become much more noticeable, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could rein it in without losing his sanity. On the days when the idea of going home alone had *not* been one that he favoured, there was always that second alternative. The arcade, where a ray of sunshine waited instead of a cold home.   
But now she wasn't there. She *hadn't* been for weeks. All that was left was the cold again. He shuddered. It couldn't take over again. He wasn't sure just how he'd manage to survive if it did.   
He didn't know why, and he didn't know how, but for some reason, the cold that was part of him for so long hadn't been nearly such a dominating presence even after the sunshine had left. A faint smile crossed his lips at the memory of first meeting her. The first day that the cold had started to recede. And would continue until....until the day it stopped it regression. The day that Usagi left.   
All logic, that Mamoru could think of anyway, told him that the same despondent emotion should have flared back as soon as the opportunity came. As soon as the thing that had been the source of hope vanished, shouldn't despair have reappeared? It was almost as if she *wasn't* gone. As if there HADN'T yet been opportunity for the cold to come back. As if the sunshine hadn't left yet.   
Shaking his head, Mamoru stood up off the railing and slid the glass door open into the living room. He tugged the back of his shirt back down after that same playful breeze had tried to pull it away from him.   
One benefit to being at home most of the time at least was that he was aloud to wear what he wanted. Right now that described a pair of faded jeans, mismatched socks, and the first shirt he'd yanked off a hanger in the closet. Namely one of his white dress shirts, not buttoned up of course, 'Why bother?', and the cuffs left unbuttoned. 'The epitome of comfort,' he mused with a chuckle.   
Perhaps the only thing that looked out of place on his person was the Ginzuishou that still hung from it's delicate chain around his neck. It hadn't been away from him since the hospital, and as long as he had anything to say about it, it wasn't going to.  
Glancing at the clock, he read 7:23. 'Hmmm.....kinda hungry.' He headed for the kitchen and opened the door to the fridge. 'Milk....an apple and.....' he sighed 'old cheese.' Shutting it with a bit of extra force, the cup- boards were next. Nothing in the top ones. Well, nothing other than canned crap that wasn't what he was looking for.   
Another boon to have a few days at home! Doing such simple things as reaching to a high cupboards was no longer painful. The crutches were leaned up against his bed- room wall, not used since a few days ago.   
Running out of cup-boards, he finally came to the last one. 'Cereal! Cereal for supper?' After a quick check, there didn't seem to be much else. He was even out of rice!  
'Cereal or apple....apple....cereal...apple....' Weighing out the options lead to the mighty decision of having the APPLE for dinner. So, he pulled the lone piece of fruit out of the fridge, and playing one-man catch, flopped down on the couch.   
He turned it over in his hands, feeling over the smooth surface with his fingers. Really, now that he was almost, and as the Senshi reminded him quite often ALMOST, back up to full strength, that impulse to get outside was returning. He bit into the apple. Tomorrow I think I'll go and visit the arcade. See how Motoki's doing.   
Mamoru wasn't going to deny it, his healing time had been pretty miraculous. As a medical student, he knew that it should have taken months for him to feel as good as he did now.   
Sleeping had been much easier as well. It had only been for the past.... 'Three.....yes I suppose three days now,' that he'd been sleeping soundly. And feeling more relaxed when he awoke then he could remember in weeks! Every morning it was as if he'd slept for a day instead of a few hours. He shook his head. Strange things that he didn't understand, but couldn't say he didn't appreciate.   
A familiar glow of warmth on his chest suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. 'S'funny,' he thought, lifting the crystal into his palm, it was indeed releasing a kind of luminescent light. His brows furrowing quizzically, he turned it over in his hands. "Now why are you doing that?" he murmured.   
Then, it stopped. Just stopped. Mamoru blinked a couple times in surprise. The few times that it had showed life, never had it just blinked out. He arched an eye-brow, but decided to dismiss the event.  
A few minutes passed as he lay idle on the couch. Finally he sighed and pushed off the cushions, resuming throwing and catching his partly-eaten apple and headed for the bed-room. 'I'll do some reading I suppose. There's that book that I should probably finish before the new term starts.'   
He turned the knob and pushed open the door.   
"NO!!"  
~*~*~  
:::7:15 pm, Makoto's living room:::  
"Look!! Oooooo LOOK minna!! Quick quick!"  
Rei lifted her eyes up from her magazine, only to roll them. "Minako-chan, stop that."   
With a grump, Minako threw the pencil into the air and let it land on the carpet. "Yeah, well YOU balance a pencil on YOUR finger and THEN not get excited. On the pointy end might I add!"  
Shaking her head, Rei went back to her magazine. The girls were all collected together at Makoto's apartment, including Artemis who was at the moment glued to the computer screen. Her communicator was open and on, sitting on a shelf near-by.   
Makoto was reading another magazine, upside down. Every so often a small pink bubble would bloom from her lips, then with a -pop-, get munched back in again.   
Ami was sitting in a chair, legs crossed, reading a book that she had gotten wind of would be the topic of an assignment in 6 months.   
And Minako...well...Minako was back to her pencil. Her small pink tongue protruded out the side of her mouth, disappearing every time the pencil dropped and she cursed her frustrations. Finally, after a few more minutes of trying to balance the pencil and failing to the point where 'try try again' got annoying, she gave up. With a grump, she stood up and left the room.   
She turned back one more time, and sighed. "Yeesh, you guys," then walked into the hallway.  
Makoto blew another bubble. "Hmmmn?"  
"What?" Rei asked absently.  
"Mmmm hmmmm...." Ami murmured.  
  
-pop-  
~*~*~  
Minako wandered over to the computer room and pulled up a chair behind Artemis. Resting her chin on one of his shoulders, she looked up at him and asked, "Ne, Artemis? What---cha doin'?"  
It took him a moment to respond, but soon he turned his head to look down at her. "Why do you ask?" he asked, giving her an inquiring look.  
She pouted. "I'm bored."   
He chuckled, making her head bob on his shoulder. "Well, I'm trying to work on our mission." He jerked his head towards the living room, "Unlike SOME Senshi around here."   
She snorted and sat up. "Tell me about it. I mean, they're even reading MY magazines, which leaves me with nothing to do." Ignoring Artemis' shake of the head, Minako leaned her elbows on the back of his chair and looked around him at the computer screen. "So? What's the plan?"  
"I've been trying to see if there's some kind of way for us to bring this whole waiting game to an end."  
"Waiting game?"  
"How we can't do anything about Usagi until *she* appears first. And since that hasn't happened in a week or so, I figured maybe it was up to us to make the first move."   
Minako nodded. "Oh...okay."  
Artemis took a deep breath. "Sooooooo.......using what technology I have, I'm trying to find a portal into the Dark Kingdom."  
The blonde by his side jerked her head up, staring at him with wide-eyes. "Nani?!"  
He responded to her surprise with a solemn expression, his blue eyes showing no sign of anything except how serious he was. "Venus," she took a mental step back at both the name and his tone, "If we are to beat the Dark Kingdom and get back the Princess, it may mean that sacrifices will be made."  
She swallowed, hoping that it wasn't too loud, and nodded. "We need to be able to do whatever we can to bring the Princess back safely. Only with her help will we be able to bring down the Dark Kingdom. She is essential."  
"Ne....Artemis, we'll get Luna back too, right?"  
He seemed startled for a moment, taken aback by the question. "H-Hai...." this time it was his turn to try and hide his alarm.  
Minako took that opportunity to stand up and give him a quick hug around the shoulders. "I promise Artemis, that we'll bring them *both* back. Safe and sound."   
Suddenly Rei burst into the room. "Something's happening!"   
~*~*~  
::7:15 pm, the Dark Kingdom::  
Hematite took one last look at herself in the mirror and giggled. She knew that it didn't matter what she looked like, but another part of didn't care. It was nice to 'dress up' a bit. Indeed, a new coat of dark polish was added to her finger-nails, she'd added a couple more ruffles to her dress, and new ribbons adorned her hair. Silly, trivial, but nice.  
Then she noticed that Luna had appeared behind her. Turning with a smile, she embraced her pet in a hug. "Oh Luna-chan! Arigato again for intro--"  
"The Queen wants you."  
Hematite blinked in surprise at the sudden interruption. Stepping back to look at the cat in the eyes, she said, "N-nani?"  
"Queen Beryl has asked to see you," Luna replied, her eyes sad.   
"D-doushite? I thought she was in Metallia's chambers..."  
"She left and has asked for your audience," Luna answered, again acting oddly distant. "You should go, Hema-chan."  
Feeling slightly betrayed, Hematite teleported herself to Beryl's chambers without another word to Luna, who behind her sank to her knees and buried her head in her hands.   
  
Bowing deeply before the throne, Hematite said, "You requested to see me, Queen Beryl-sama?"   
"Rise, Hematite." When she did so, the girl found a smiling face to greet her. One that she found slightly surprising.   
'She must not know about Mamoru yet then,' she reasoned.  
"I have a mission for you Hematite. I realize that you have not had much to do in the past little while, what with my being away for a time."  
Hematite became wary. Why was she suddenly acting so 'chummy' again?   
"And so I would like you to take a youma out, anyone, you choose, and make an attack at the Senshi."  
Hiding her startlement, Hematite nodded.  
"And bring back the Ginzuishou."   
'Nani? Iie!!' "D-demo...that could take a very long ti-"  
"Do NOT question me!" Beryl snapped, her expression morphing again into one of wide-eyed rage.   
Biting her tongue, Hematite bowed again and said quietly, "As you command, my Queen."   
She exited the throne-room, but instead of going back to her own chambers, she just randomly chose a corridor and teleported there. "NO! This can't be HAPPENING!" she shouted into the darkness. Her hands rose up to clutch at her bangs while she continued to mumble to herself. "If I'm busy fighting those baka Senshi, I won't be able to go see Mamoru anymore! And... if I find the Ginzuishou, then there will NEVER be a chance. Beryl will be too attentive to let me slip out, and then the attack would start...." she trailed off with a groan. Slamming a fist against the wall, she screamed, "AGAIN she has left me with NOTHING of my own!"  
'Matte....matte perhaps there *could* be a way to see him again,' another voice began to plot inside her. 'The Queen will probably me monitoring me as soon as bring out the youma. She'll watch my attack to make sure that I'm doing things properly. But if I can somehow...avoid finding the Ginzuishou, that will at least buy me a few more nights of my own.' Her nightly visit to the boy was something that she was *not* willing to sacrifice. At least not so quickly. The few days that she'd had so far....well they would not be wrenched away from her because of one Queen's temper. She had to have more time. So if in her fights, even if the Senshi DID have it, she would make sure that somehow she avoided from snatching it. Even though she could just whip them all and take it that way, why not give the Queen a show? Those little displays could add at least a week onto her time for herself.  
'Perfect. Now, to think of the right youm--' her thoughts halted when she caught site of a waver in the wall. 'Another chamber? Out here?' All of the Youma cells were closer to the throne room, and any of the other Chambers had been eliminated along with their residents' death. Namely the former Generals.  
Making her way over to the waver, she stuck her head in. A hallway lit with antique oil-lamps led down into the room. From what she could see at the entrance, the room had such furnishing as an desk that boasted so many detailed engravings that she could see them from even her fairly far distance.  
She thought she could spot a post belonging to a bed, but craning her neck offered no more view of it. Stepping completely through the entry-way, she quietly made her way down the corridor.  
Hematite had never seen a room like this before! Hers was certainly much different. Antique, perhaps Victorian, rugs and carpets lay on the ground. More oil lamps were lit about the room, one sat on a bed-side table next to, as she had seen from the door, a rather grand looking four poster bed.  
It was canopied, dark blue cloth draping down to reach the floor on all four corners, but leaving the spaces between the posts open. 'What a beautiful room!' she thought in awe. Almost resentfully, she pouted, 'How come *I* don't have a bed like that?'  
Her eyes fell upon the bed proper, and a still figure resting in it. With her curiosity piqued, Hematite crept slowly towards them. 'A woman?' she thought in surprise. 'Just who's room *is* this?' The woman appeared to be in deep slumber, and from the looks of her, a much needed one.  
If one were to look past the pallor of her skin and the dark circles beneath her eyes, she possessed a sort of masculine beauty. Almost overjoyed to see that perhaps there was another girl in the Darkness, Hematite bounced up onto the bed and shouted, "Konnichi-waaaaaa!" at the top of her lungs. 'Maybe she'll help me with Mamoru! After all, she's a woman, and women help each other with love's affairs!'   
But a cold hand suddenly took hold of Hematite's hope as soon as the 'woman' awoke. With a distinctly masculine shriek, the stranger shot up in bed and flailed about in startlement. Breathing in short pants, he turned to stare at a rather confused Hematite. "Who----who...what..." he stuttered.   
Now able to see his face at this closer range, and hearing the voice that belonged to the host, Hematite realized her rather large error. She blushed. "Whoops!" 'Well, that doesn't mean I can't get to know him.' She stuck a hand out and said cheerily, "My name is Hematite! What's yours?"   
He stared at her hand, his eyes remaining wide, but his breathing had slowed to more of a kind of...wheeze. "Zoi--Zoisite," he muttered the reply.   
"Well Zoisite, I think that maybe we should get to know each other better, what with everything that's been happening, ne?" She opened her eyes after the smile, and caught his.   
The scream that erupted from the frail figure almost sent Hematite tumbling off the bed. Zoisite had suddenly just burst out, startling Hematite so much that she couldn't think to do anything. She stared at him. He had stopped screaming, but now his head shook between his hands, side to side. "NO!" She jumped as he shouted again. "GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME *ALONE*!"   
"Wh--wha---" she stuttered. "Zoisite?"   
Hematite whipped her head around to the doorway. "Kunzite-sensei?" she breathed, happy to see a sane face. Getting up off the bed, she faced him. "I don't know what happened I just came in and said hello and then he started to--to---" When words failed her, she gestured erratically at the man.  
Kunzite was at Zoisite's side in a moment, and pulled him down against his chest. When Zoisite convulsed in another scream, jerking against the other body, Kunzite only tightened his hold.   
Her hands shook, a stinging prickle at the edges of her eyes. Kunzite looked up, locking his silver eyes with hers. "Get out," he said. Hematite took a shaky in-take of air, covering her mouth with a hand.   
"Watashi....gom--I didn't mean to...it's not my--"   
"Get OUT!" Hematite flew back without a sound, but a yelp escaped when her body came into contact with the wall. She slid down it's surface and onto her knees, a sob breaking from her lips.  
She watched as a tear fell to the ground and broke apart, it having escaped from her eyes. Her head shook, the only reason that she wasn't collapsed on the ground was because her elbows had locked, keeping her up. 'I--I have to get out of here...' When Fight or Flight takes over, and you know that fighting would be futile, what do you do? You flee to the safest place that you think of first.   
In a burst of smoke, Hematite disappeared from the room. Turning his attention back to the man in his arms, Kunzite murmured words of comfort, pushing back the sweat-soaked bangs that plastered Zoisite's fore-head. Pressing his lips to Zoisite's hair, he murmured, "He can't get worse...onegai...ONEGAI don't get worse..."   
~*~*~  
::7:34 pm, Mamoru's apartment::  
She landed in his room, stumbling slightly. Her back screamed it's protest from the movement, sending lances of pain all the way up to her neck.  
Another sob tried to break loose, but she bit this one back. She couldn't wake him up. Opening her eyes, three things happened. One: she saw that the bed was empty, not yet slept in. Two: she looked out the window, the stars were just *starting* to appear. Third: A door opened behind her.   
Spinning around, her eyes widened in horror. "NO!!"  
  
Mamoru stood at the door in shock. Two crystal blue eyes locked onto his, shaking and wide with surprise. "NO!!" she screamed, making him take another mental step back.  
Suddenly he felt a jerk forward, like someone had pushed him from behind, and the door slammed shut behind him. With what felt like another push, he himself was nailed against the door. Cracking his eyes open, he discovered that an out-stretched arm and a panicked expression made Usagi the culprit of the attack.  
"U--usa?" he croaked out. Her gaze flickered up to meet his, but she then closed her eyes and clutched at her head.  
"NO!! Why is this happening?!" she screamed. "This wasn't supposed to happen!! It *can't* happen this way!!"   
Meanwhile, Mamoru was just staring at her in shock...and concern. THIS was Usagi? The Princess that was so care-free, and seemed stuck in happy-drive? Before him was a tortured young woman, obviously confused and in pain.....what had happened to her? "Usa---Serenity...."   
She snapped her eyes up to meet his again, and beckoned him forward with two fingers. He bit back a cry of surprise as he left the door and almost flew over to stand before her. With her hands clenched at her sides, she stared up into his face with a scowl.   
Finding he could move, Mamoru lifted a hand, about to touch her cheek. He couldn't believe it was her...she was....she... She caught his wrist in a tight grip. He looked back down at her, startled. Expecting to look into her eyes, he was surprised when he saw her gazing down at his chest.  
She swallowed again, the hand that held his starting to shake. "Y-you have....it?"   
Reflexively, Mamoru reached up for the Ginzuishou. His voice caught in his throat when he saw tears spring up to her eyes. For a moment, it looked like she was going to say something, when what sounded like a stampede came from the other room.   
"Where are they?" a feminine voice asked.   
Mamoru recognized it. 'Rei?'  
Beside him Hematite hissed and drew back. "Shimatta."   
Suddenly the door was kicked open and Sailor Jupiter came bursting into the room. She was followed by the other four Senshi, who came in to stand side by side. "Mamoru-san, get out of the way," Jupiter growled.   
He took a step to the side, but when Hematite rose an arm he smoothly rose up into the air as if someone had picked up by the front of his shirt. "Mamoru-san!" Mars shrieked.   
"If you take one step closer," Hematite growled, "I'll kill him."  
"DOUSHITE?!" Mars screamed.  
"You could never understand." She ducked her head and looked away. "I--it's not as if I want to."   
This time, Venus took a small step forward. "What do you mean?" she asked gently.   
Mamoru lowered in the air a bit, now sending slightly panicked glances over to the Senshi.   
"I don't want to stop coming..."  
"Coming where?" Mercury asked.   
Hematite suddenly looked up in startlement. "NO! You Senshi are trying to TRICK me!" she shouted, her eyes ablaze again. The silver moon on her fore-head flared up, lifting some of her bangs off of her fore-head. "I won't be caught defenseless again!" She tightened her up-raised fist.  
Mamoru suddenly felt as if somebody was hugging onto him too tight. His breathing became impaired, and his back began to once again ache. The strained sounds coming from him alerted the others. "Mamoru-san!" Mercury cried.  
"What are you doing?!" Jupiter asked harshly.   
Hematite glowered at her. "If I can't have him, no one will." Suddenly she threw her arm behind her, and Mamoru along with it. When his body came into contact with the picture window above his bed, instead of it stopping him, he crashed right through it. Shattered glass rained out over the group, Mars' scream filtering it's way through the chaos.   
  
His last thought before Mamoru blacked out: "I'm going to die."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
DUN DUN DUN!!!!!  
WAAAAAAI! I actually got another one out! *struts around proudly* Yes yes, I'm so happy. Now, tell me the truth. Is the ending too.. *waves hand* predictable? Melodramatic? I'd love to hear from you!! *^-^*   
So, since I don't think I used anything new in this chapter, if there are any japanese words in here that you couldn't remember, just head on down to my other chapters, kay?   
Ja!  
~Wyvern 


	11. When My Love & I Parted ~ Chapter 11

When My Love & I Parted ~ Part 11  
By (lazy as hell but finally got off her ass and wrote) Wyvern  
http://www.crosswinds.net/~moonmonkey/  
japeena@hotmail.com  
Rated: PG 13 almost R (*gasps of horror* That's right though! Ooooo....)

    *sniffs* Oh my goodness, it's been so long! I swear, I haven't seen you guys in what must be...well a long time anyway. How y'all doin'? Oh yeah? That's good! I'm glad to hear my readers are good. ^_^

    So, it's been months since I've written anything for this, but that's because some little writer's block youma decided to nest in my brain, and only recently have I managed to fend it off with sticky-arrows and mallet-poundings. When my love is coming to its end, ladies and gents! We're one chapter and an epilogue away from the conclusion. Woo HOO! 

    I want to give a huge thanks to the guys at Fanfiction.net, because you know what? It's thanks to the wonderful feedback that I received there that I felt inspired to write more to this. I really didn't think many people were reading this, and that might be part of the reason I set this on the back shelf. Now though, just look! A nine page chapter, and more to come! ^.^ So to all of those wonderful people, I bow in grace and say, ARIGATO GOZAIMASU! (Same goes to the all the loverlies who've e-mailed me. Thanks minna!)

    Now, the R rating on this fic is because of some violence, angsty scenes, and a wee bit of sexual reference. I know I can't stop some eleven year old (who might know more about this stuff than me, for all I know ^^;;) from reading this, but I need to give the warning. (Look I Abide-sama! No humour in this one! Ta daaa!)

    Allrighty, I think that's it. I hope you enjoy, as I'm feeling a little sentimental and this fic starts to end. *sniffle sniffle*

*******Sailor Moon and all characters are copyright © Naoko Tekuchi, Kondansha and Toei Industries...plus...DiC I guess. *arches eyebrow* I'm using them without permission, but I'm having hella fun.***********

    Oh! Quick note! When you see quotation marks like this '' , it signifies thought. 

~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Mars screamed, behind her she heard Mercury's voice rose to meld with hers, but any surprise from that went un-checked. The Senshi ran to the window, their bodies dispersing the cloud of smoke that Hematite had left behind. Only moments before, the witch had disappeared with a chuckle, leaving only her wispy signature.   
    Jupiter stuck her head out of the window, summing up the distance. With a grunt of frustration, she ran from the window and out the door, Venus at her heels.   
    "Where are you going?" she asked, short of breath.  
    Jupiter stopped when she came to the exit door at the end of the hall-way and gave Venus one of the most serious expressions that the blond soldier had ever seen from her. "It's too dark, I couldn't see him, and I don't know where the ground is to land safely if I jumped," she answered, showing some of the leadership qualities that Makoto barely ever dug out. "We have to get there the slow way," she finished, and with a grunt, kicked the door to the emergency stairway open. Without another thought, Jupiter shot herself down the stairs towards the ground level.     Venus glanced behind her, and with a note of relief saw Mars and Mercury leave the apartment. Mercury shut the door behind her, and ran with Mars towards the staircase.   
    So, knowing that her comrades were on the way, Venus followed Jupiter, giving a silent prayer that what they found wouldn't be what she expected.

~*~*~

    She wrapped the baby up in her dress, smiling and cooing to it. The little one stirred, opening large blue eyes and blinking them wide at her. The mouth twitched for a moment, the little lips pursing before a light panting began to come for the tiny lungs. She shook her head and softly pet the tiny head, murmuring words of comfort. "No, no it's alright...oh...that's right...it's okay..." But the tiny figure began to fret, a whimper starting in the tiny throat.   
    Leaning over, she kissed the small fore-head, and the little eyes began to drift close. "That's it sweetling....that's right...." She gazed with a warmth that any on-looker would say was one of a mother...but to look closer might reveal a rather predatory glint in her eyes.   
    Footsteps and a door slam suddenly brought her attention up from her tiny companion, and with one smooth movement she stood. The babe still swaddled in the layers of black cloth, he didn't stir. Clutching him a little tighter to her bosom, in a burst of energy and smoke, Hematite disappeared. 

~*~*~

    Artemis typed furiously into the key-board. With narrowed eyes, three little devils spurred him on to achieve his goal. Nothing would stop him now.  
    He couldn't believe what he'd just heard....Rubbing his fore-head, he took a deep, shaky breath, and sat back in his chair. Guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders, shame and stupidity as company, poking at him with little pitch forks and squeals of glee.  
    So much of the conversation in the bed-room had been muffled. He KNEW that some of it hadn't reached him. But Hematite's final words, the sound of glass shattering, and the girls' screams did.   
    Only the worst kinds of images flashed across his mind. What kind of situation was happening over there? What, or as he feared, who, had gone out the window?  
    His three little companions laughed at him. 'Who knows how long Hematite has known where Mamoru has been?' Why hadn't he ever done a field test on the communicator's range in Mamoru's apartment? He and Hematite may have been having night-long conversations, and none of the girls could have told.   
    Artemis didn't think that Mamoru had had any more idea of the dark soldier's presence then the rest of they had, however. He was not a stupid man, and to keep such a thing for those who could protect him would have been inarguably foolish. This must have been some sort of set up for a future trap or attack, what else?   
    Perhaps with Luna on their side, Hematite had found out about Mamoru the first night she had been taken. That would make a lot of sense as well.   
    Two fingers rose up to knead the bridge of his nose between his eyes. His head hurt....his heart hurt.....his eyes hurt from pushing back tears all day. Suddenly the screen began to beep, and a pulsating light caught his attention.   
    Sitting up in his seat, Artemis scanned the computer screen. His eyes steadily widened as the data fed into his brain, and answers and solutions began to click into place.   
    Flying out of the chair, he ran into the living-room towards the table where the communicator sat. Or was supposed to be sitting. "K'so!" he cursed, then headed for the door. He burst out into the cool air of the night, and with a violent shiver, set out on a run for Mamoru's apartment.

~*~*~

    The light that cast down from atop the doorway only had a span of about 7 feet before the curtain of the night overtook it. The girls burst out of the door with another kick from Jupiter, and frantically looked around. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Venus yelled, "Mamoru-san!"   
    "Mamoru!" Mars called, but neither of them were rewarded by a reply.   
    "It's too dark to see him," Mercury said, her upset coming through in her voice. Here at the back of the large apartment building, there were no street-lights to aid them, meaning that one would have to either stumble about in the dark, or provide a flash light.   
    "I've got it," Venus said, to the other's surprise. She pointed one index finger to the sky and concentrated. "Crescent....beam..." she said softly and slowly. A small glow appeared in her fist, and progressively made its way up her hand until it cast a narrow glow out and up into the night sky. "Wide..." she murmured again, and suddenly the light grew in width until it did indeed resemble a very bright flash-light.   
    Bringing it down in front of her, a path was made, and without another word the Senshi of Love ran out from the dome of light, from the safety light, and into the night.   
    She could hear the others behind her. Nothing was found by the light, and the spirits of the Senshi were starting to whimper. Then, their search produced at least some results. The group ran across a pile of clothing that lay in a puddle, dejected on the ground.   
    Kneeling beside it, Mars picked up the large white dress shirt and jeans. She rose the shirt to her face and breathed in deeply. Catching her tears she stood and nodded. "These are Mamoru-kun's."   
    She bent to pick up the jeans, and something fell to the ground, tinkling as it bounced on the ground a pace. All four of the Senshi gasped in surprise. "The Ginzuishou!" Mercury exclaimed, crouching down to pick it up. The crystal felt warm in her fist until she let it fall down from the chain so that the others could see it as well.      Sighing, Jupiter put a hand on her hip and scratched her head. "Now what?" she asked.   
    "SEEEEEEENSHIIIIII!!"   
    Four bodies whirled around to where the call had come from. "Artemis?" Venus yelled.   
    "Where are you?" the voice asked again.   
    Using her hands as a megaphone, Jupiter yelled, "Hold on Artemis, we're coming!"   
    They found him at the front of the apartment, still apparently catching his breath. "What's wrong?" Mercury asked.   
    "I should ask YOU that!" he said. "What just happened?" Passing his eyes over the group, he asked in a more hushed tone, "Where's Mamoru-kun?" The other three Senshi cast their eyes down, but it was Venus who replied for them.   
    "Hematite sent him flying through the window in his room..." Artemis' eyes widened, but she stopped him before he could speak, "And as far as we can tell, she has kidnapped him." Motioning to the bundle in Mars' arms, "We found this at the back of the building, right around the spot he would have landed."   
    Shaking his head, Artemis ran a quivering hand down his pony-tail. Taking a deep breath he surprised them all when he said, "I've found..." he rose his eyes to look at them all, "a way into the Dark Kingdom." Waving away the outburst of surprise and questions, he continued. "There is a fluctuation of energy out near the Arctic Circle, and as far as I can tell, it's the energy of the the Dark Kingdom."  
    The girls fell silent, exchanging mixed expressions of excitement and terror of what was to come. "The only problem is," Artemis continued, "I don't know how to get there. The only solution I could think of would be a Sailor Teleport, but without Sailor Moon..." he trailed off.  
    "Artemis, if we had the Ginzuishou, would that complete the circle even without her?" Sailor Mercury asked.  
    He gave her a questioning look, but nodded. "It might."  
    "Well guess what we've found," Mars said.   
    "Nani?" Mercury held out her cupped hands to Artemis. Moving towards her, he looked at what she so delicately held and sucked in a sharp breath. He seized her two small hands in his large ones, and carefully pulled out the crystal.   
    While the others were watching the crystal, Venus' attention was on Artemis' eyes. The blue irises were so bright that they were almost like mirrors as he looked into the Ginzuishou. Then, for a split second, she could have sworn she saw gold flash across their surfaces. 'What--?'  
    "Great Selene...." The words were only a breath off of the man's lips, but Venus had been listening for his voice. Not those words though. They had caught her off guard. Before she could inquire, Artemis snapped up the crystal in a fist and once again addressed all of the Senshi. "We have to work fast." 

~*~*~

    Mamoru woke slowly, easing his eyes open by blinking them a few times. He raised his eyes, and thought he'd closed them again. He saw nothing but black. Shifting his head around, he found that he was in the center of a large double bed, coated in layers upon layers of black silk, that slithered and folded around his body.  
    Sitting up, more of the dark cloth fell about his shoulders and arms, almost giving a good-bye caress. Where was this? The entire room was just black. He wasn't even sure where the walls were. The only light in the room came from a rather lovely silver light that hung from the ceiling, sharp-edged crystals dangling from the silver rim.   
    He knew it was cliché, but it was a question that demanded to be asked. "Where am I?"   
    "Home," came the silky reply.   
    "Us-" he snapped his head around to the voice, but instead of his blond captor, it was a different woman. She was beautiful, but her prescience held a darkness that was aware to Mamoru immediately upon laying her eyes upon her slim form. "Who are you?"   
    The woman smiled and looked away, ducking her head a little bit. She crossed her arms, but one of her hands rose to stroke a black ribbon that was tied around her slender neck. "I am but a servant to my mistress." Rising her head to give him a straight look she added, "Your, mistress."  
    Mamoru felt an anger start to rise up in his chest, making his blue eyes grow even darker. "I am no servant."   
    "Oh yes you are," the woman replied with earnest. "You will finally make the mistress happy." She took a step towards Mamoru, her arms falling to her sides. "You will give her things that I cannot, ease the pain that she won't let me ease." She came closer to him with each word, and Mamoru was becoming increasingly aware of his state of attire, or lack thereof, and the closing space between them.   
    His hands gathered fistfuls of the cloth and rose them up and around his waist, his legs pushing on the bed so that for every inch that she came nearer, he moved farther away. "At last, the mistress will be content. Because, Mamoru, that is all that I want. For my Princess to be content."   
    Mamoru stopped his squirming. "Princess?" 'She's not talking about Beryl...' He didn't blink, but suddenly found this woman almost nose-to-nose with him. 'Red eyes...'  
    "My Princess deserves to be happy," she said, cocking her head to the side sharply, her black braids falling down her back.   
    "Princess..." Mamoru mumbled. He couldn't look away from this woman's eyes. They pulled him in, laying a veil down on his already aching brain.   
    She moved just a little closer towards him, shifting the weight to her fore-arms, her lips only a breath away from his. "Hai..." she breathed.  
    "LUNA!"  
    Luna scrambled away and scampered off the bed, leaving Mamoru to fall back. He groaned lightly, hands reaching up to hold his head. Why did he have such a head-ache all of a sudden?  
    "Hai, Hema-chan?" Luna asked calmly.   
    Hematite strode up to her and bore black eyes into red. "What were you doing?"   
    Luna shrugged and smiled. "Just warming him up, Hema-ch-"  
    "Don't call me that," Hematite snapped. Luna gaped in surprise, her eyes wide. Hematite looked away and scowled. "Just go."   
    "I'm..I'm sorr--"  
    Hematite rose her eyes to Luna's and said again, "I know. Just please go." Nodding a little hesitantly, Luna bowed and left the room.   
    Finally, Hematite breathed a deep sigh. She felt the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she sucked in a breath that wiped them away. 'I'm going to miss her,' she thought.   
    "U---Usa?"   
    There was his voice again. And that name....it wasn't hers..she knew that but...it sounded so smooth coming from him. Slowly she turned to him, a small smile on her face. "Konnichi-wa, Mamoru."   
    He moved a little closer towards her on the bed, his eyes asking so many questions. "What...what is going on, Usa?" She crawled over the expanse of the bed towards him, finally sitting back on her haunches in a very un-ladylike gesture.  
    She rose a steady hand and touched his bangs with the flats of her fingers. They felt just as she had hoped they would. Like the black silk she so favoured. She heard his breath catch in his throat, his eyes trying to find hers. But she wouldn't look at his eyes.   
    Her attention was focused on her own hand, and where it traveled on him. It moved down his temple, curling around to caress that spot beneath his eye with the back of her hand. Down past his nose, a slow journey across his lips, the sensation reminding her again of silk... 'Like touching darkness...'  
    Her hand jerked away from him, now her eyes falling to her lap. "No...no I've touched darkness." She covered her face with her hands. "I've touched it. This isn't it," she said into her palms.  
    Soft hands were suddenly on her wrists, gently asking her to show her face again. "Usa..onegai.." She let them be guided, but didn't raise her eyes. "Please Usa," he continued. "I don't know what's happening, but I need this to stop."   
     "You need?" she asked, and finally looked up. She saw his eyes then, for what could be counted as the first time. His eyes were always closed otherwise, except that evening in his room. Then though, his back had been to the light, and his face cast in shadow. But now, in the full light of her room, she was able to see every facet of them.     They asked her to stop, to talk to him, to understand something that she simply couldn't grasp. She wanted to, oh, how she wanted to. If it were only to make him feel better, her heart ached to understand.   
    Perhaps he saw this. Read that in her eyes, saw a shift in her expression, a touch more anxiety in the relaxed curve of her mouth; but whatever it was, he smiled at her. A soft smile, one that assumed too much.   
    Hematite narrowed her eyes at that smile, and wrenched herself free of his grip. "How dare you!" she spat, and slapped her hand across his face. The force of the strike left his head reeling, and the sharp taste of blood stung his tongue. "You think that you know me. You think that I care for you." She took his chin firmly in her hand and wrenched it over so that she dug her gaze straight into his. "You are speaking to a Princess, and you know nothing."   
    His eyes shook.  
    She jerked his chin in her grip. "Nothing." With a jerk, she released him, and his own hand rose to nurse his jaw. A silence descended over the room once more as neither said a thing. Shock and fury were mute partners.  
    Fury laughed at him, bubbling up and out from her dark lips. "You want me to tell you why you're here, don't you."   
    He said nothing, keeping his eyes lowered.   
    She leapt up into his lap and wrapped long legs around his waist. With his hair as a reign, she jerked it back and giggled with a slight shade of insanity. "I'll tell you, oh yes," she murmured, her breath hot against his cheek. "You're a smart boy, I can tell. I bet you already know, don't you. She nipped at his cheek. "Mmmm, so tasty." A feral smile split her face ever farther, and with a moan she ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip.   
    He turned his head away, his breathing heavier in his chest. "No," he said, quiet and unsteady.   
    "No?" she repeated, but with a pout. "How many girls have thrown themselves at you, hmmm? I bet you have to bat them away like flies. In case you haven't noticed, you're quite a handsome young man. I'm also quite a possessive little girl, who's very, very powerful. So guess what," she turned his head back to face her, "I went and got me a toy." 

~*~*~

    Throughout her little speech, Mamoru had kept his ears open, and his thoughts free. Memories of every day he'd seen Usagi floated through, the happiness each day he'd teased her had given, the pain he'd endured, and would again, for Sailor Moon. This girl that dug her nails into his bare back, who spoke words that were like a whip's lash to his soul, was the same girl that had lit a fire in him all those months ago.   
    He remembered the car, the ghosts that stood bright vigil at the road side. Then the Senshi, their love for her, their concern for him. He remembered his promise to Selenity, and ultimately, his promise to himself. The things that never left him.   
    When she touched him again, pulled him back up to stare at him, he didn't see Usagi. He saw Hematite. And he'd be damned if he'd let that last.   
    In a swift move, Mamoru clutched her frame even closer to his own and crushed his lips to hers. His eyes trapped the tears in them, and he ignored the horrible pain the kiss brought. 'Come back to me, Usako.'   
He moved his lips against hers,  
she rose her hands up to force him harder into the embrace,  
he rocked in a spasm,

        the kiss lasted for his ever.

                        _::When my love and I parted:: _

                                                                    Death.

_::the wind blew cold::_

~*~*~

    "Concentrate! Imagine that she's here with us!" Venus shouted over the wind. It whipped hair long and short into squinched up faces, collars around ears turned almost deaf.   
    Mars almost screamed from the energy that grew inside and around her, and the insanity that the loose grip she had on it felt. The Ginzuishou lashed out with raw power and energy. With no Senshi there to harness the crystal's power, it was like a small sun that burned the other auras around it. It was doing its job however, with the teleport picking up momentum with each passing moment, and soon the group would make it. If they could just stay conscious.  
    Artemis wrapped his arms tighter around his frame, snatching his breaths with each gust of air that slapped his mouth and nose as the other Senshi did. The energy that was pulsating from each of them was so powerful that his fore-head throbbed with it, the moon symbol thrumming with it. 'We're coming, Luna.'     br     'Usagi..'  
    'Usagi-chan..'  
    'Be strong, Usagi-chan.'  
    'Hold on. Just hold on.'

~*~*~

_::When my love and I parted::_

    The kiss was blinding, and like wild fire she felt it spread and singe every fiber up to her very fingertips. It was more than anything she'd expected, and the wonderful surprise that she felt fed her hunger with an intensity that surprised even her.   
    It was a few moments into the heaven's contact that she realized that the nerves of her lips felt cold. With her hands still twined around the soft, thick mass of his hair, she pulled their mouths apart with a small pant of a laugh.  
    The laughter inside was soon quelled, replaced by a confusion when she opened her eyes. Mamoru was no longer wearing nothing but his wonderful tanned skin and the black silk. Now he was dressed in a neatly pressed tuxedo, a mask a little off-center over his eyes. She blinked and shook her head, trying to dispel the strange vision. "What...what is this?" she asked, shaking his head a little when the dream failed to leave her.   
    His head was heavy in her hands, as if it was no longer supported by...   
    Her brow furrowed, she released him. His head lolled backwards, the lips that only moments before had burned with some kind of passion were now slightly parted and pale. She shook his shoulders, noting with a rise of anxiety how limp he...

_::Our love untold::_

    "Wake up!" Something in her chest began to feel tight, and panic started to weave out from her heart. "I said, wake up!" She slapped him again, the mask over his eyes fluttering away but otherwise eliciting no response. The grip became tighter. She placed her hand back on his cheek, this time it was only a laying of the palm. "So cold..." she murmured. It was suddenly getting harder to see.   
    She let him go completely, and he fell back on the bed, the black silk sheets rising up with the air to meet him. She crawled off and almost fell off the bed. She stumbled upwards, her arms and legs shaking. With steps shakier than at any age she'd ever been, she backed away from the bed.   
    "What is this..." Her hands groped for a surface, and it met one in the cold mirror. "What is going ON?!" she screamed, the sound dying out in the dark void.   
    Eyes wide as they could be, she slowly turned around, and lost her breath. It was like she'd been turned inside out, the image that stared back at her was so alien. White replaced black, gold in the place of silver, a thick braid split and pulled up to the top of her head. 

_::How my heart was crying::_

    She rose a trembling hand to the touch the surface, a bare wrist on the opposite side to contrast the black ribbon that hung loose on her own. The girl on the other side was lovely, a vision of a light Hematite had never known.   
    The eyes that stared full of questions back at her were a crystal blue, the kind that she'd dreamed she'd seen in the fountain in her dream...

_::"Love come with me"::_

    Her eyes flew back to the bed, where Mamoru still lay in his strange new outfit. 'He's dead...' a voice said to her. Her hands flew up to her mouth to stifle the wail that was beginning to rise up. "I killed him!" she whispered, voice suddenly hoarse.   
    "Just as I will kill you!"   
    Hematite spun around without the usual flair, her skirts clinging to her legs. "Kunzite-sensei!"  
    Kunzite stood in all of his dark glory, his battle aura burned into a red. His chest heaved in heavy breaths, his eyes flashing from bright white to normal. "Prepare yourself," he growled.   
    Hematite knew she should have been terrified. An instinct was screaming at her, and fear clawed and bit to be released, but she was not letting it out. She just wasn't feeling it. "Zoisite is gone, isn't he," she murmured.  
    "YES! Yes he's dead because of YOU!"   
    "Why?" she asked.  
    Without a battle rage that thirsted for the sweet revenge to blind him, Kunzite might have seen her genuine curiosity. How Hematite's eyes didn't hold the same scorn they had since he'd first seen her as a child those weeks ago. That was not that case, however. "WHY?! Ever since the battle with the moon princess, he's been scarred! You damaged him! You hurt him! You KILLED HIM!" he screamed, his voice almost cracking despite the deep bass of its nature.   
    She shook her head, her hands again lifting to her mouth.   
    "Yes." Twin blades of red energy flashed into his hands, and with the moves of a master he charged and readied them. Using one to point a death sentence, Kunzite's mouth twisted in a savage snarl. "And now, we will join him." 

_::But I turned my face from him::_

    "Fiiiire.....SOOOUULLL!" A bright torrent of flame fired itself towards Kunzite, but without even a glance in its direction it absorbed into his aura.   
    Hematite managed to wrench her eyes away from him in time to see Sailor Mars touch down to the ground. Behind her four other Senshi crouched into battle positions, and one man with strange features turned a wide gaze straight to her. "Artemis," she breathed. 'What? Where did..they are the murderers!' she thought. But when she looked over them all, she no longer saw the four girls who had murdered her love. They were the same but...now she saw them as four girls who had come to help. "No..I don't understand," she moaned, clutching her head.   
    "Usagi!" Artemis called.   
    Sailor Mercury and Jupiter turned their heads towards her as well, but their expressions were not those of welcome. Both watched her with stone faces for a few moments before they both turned back to the enemy that still a huge threat to all of them.   
    "Kunzite! Back off!" Sailor Mars barked out.   
    He turned his wild gaze to their group, but did not make a move. "What I am here for does not concern you, Sailors. I am here to kill her," he said, again motioning in Hematite's direction.   
    She snapped her head up and lowered her arms. The black lightning danced down her arms and licked at her fingers, fueled by the anguish and confusion that was eating her inside. She would make the confusion stop, the strange visions stop, she would bring the truth back with the end of their lives. "Don't touch me!" she cried, and rose her arms to throw the power.   
    Her breath caught in her throat again, the weapon not yet discharged. Her hands were coated in blood, from tip to elbow. She couldn't smell it, she couldn't feel it, but she saw that the stronger the energy became, the darker the blood was and the higher it climbed up her arms.   
    Her legs wobbled beneath her, all of the fight of that moment lost inside of her. With the dispelling of her power, the blood disappeared. Tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks, almost catching near her stretched mouth.   
    She rose her eyes up to the Senshi, who now looked at her with pure concern.   
    Artemis stepped away from the group, reaching out with a tender hand. "Usagi-"  
    "Mine!" Lithe arms suddenly wrapped around his throat from behind, and with an airy feminine cackle, pulled Artemis back into a pocket of the void.   
    "ARTEMIS!" Venus screeched, running to the spot he'd stood in only second before.   
    Her head unsteady on her shoulders, Hematite looked from Venus, to Mars and Jupiter, seething with rage, to Mercury, openly shocked, to Kunzite, bored and still so angry, to Mamoru. Cold.   
    It was barely a sigh, it was barely a whisper, but Hematite left them all and crumpled to the ground. Before any of of the girls managed to voice their alarm, she too was swallowed up. Like a maw of darkness, the void rose up around her and pulled her down into the mass.   
    The manic laughter of a mad-man denied vengeance echoed around her chambers, and soon the screams of a handful of Senshi joined it. 

_::And sought the sea.::_

    The war played on, but the battle had now begun.

~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Dun dun DUN! Wow, the end of chapter 11. Coming soon is 12, and then a nice little epilogue to tie it off. Hopefully, as long as I'm not dragged off kicking and screaming to my cottage which is NOT computer-accessible, I'll have that out by next week.   
    I don't think there were any Japanese words in here at all, talk about new ones. ^_^ That's a first! Hey hey! I figured that english would be just as powerful, I suppose. Hmmm...maybe I've matured since I last wrote...could it be possible?! Anywhoo, please let me know what you think, and maybe trot on down to my website? Counter hits make me happy. *grins *   
    This chapter also announced the first verse of the song this fic is named after. I really like it, and I hope you guys find it fits. The next chapter will have the other two verses, and I will repeat the whole song at the end of the epilogue so you guys can see the whole thing.   
    Thanks for readin'!

Ja!

~Wyvern


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